The Angel's Queen
by DarkHeianPrincess
Summary: <html><head></head>Sephiroth, the One-Winged Angel, the self-proclaimed god who will take control of the Planet...finds himself distracted. He has but one desire as of now, and that is to take a queen to rule along side him, but not just any woman will do. Cover image created by LisAlice5472.</html>
1. Prologue: His Desire

**I do not own FFVII. Well, as I promised, a TifaxSephiroth fiction. I've got a lot of paths I could follow with this one, though I'm not sure which road to go down yet. So here's a fairly vague prologue to get us started before the story really begins. Hope you enjoy. REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Prologue: His Desire**

"Why must she insist upon staying with that fool?" Sephiroth grunted in his deep husky voice. He stood upon the building across from 7th Heaven, gazing through the window at the lithe figure of Tifa as she rode Cloud hard and fast. Sephiroth fancied himself beneath her, watching her ample bosom sway with her movements, her slender hips rising to meet his entry. He rather enjoyed the idea of rolling them over and taking dominion over her as well, but something about her sitting astride him and gazing down with her crimson eyes made him shudder with delight.

When he'd first seen her as a teenager in Nibelheim, he'd found her lovely and nothing more, but years later Tifa had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and Sephiroth watched and adored her from afar. She was the epitome of all he desired in a woman. She had strength, grace, beauty…but there was something else there as well. She had something inside her that Sephiroth couldn't name but could feel when she was around. The way she spoke to Cloud, the way she looked at him, the way she touched him…Sephiroth wanted her to treat _him_ like that. Never in his life had anyone treated him like that, and he wanted this attention from Tifa. Sephiroth felt his mouth go dry as he eyed her figure, she'd fallen over backward and was arching her back as Cloud pounded into her.

"I hate you." Sephiroth muttered. "You disgusting puppet…you hardly deserve a woman like that…" What was this emotion? Sephiroth shook his head. He'd been feeling this way for a long time, a tightening in his gut whenever he'd see them together this way. His body trembled and his heart pounded thunderously. "No one should be allowed to touch Tifa except me!" Jealousy. He was jealous of them. He was jealous of the relationship Cloud had with Tifa. Sephiroth wanted to give her the kind of pleasure Cloud gave her right then. He wanted to run his hands over her body, to feel her lips pressed against his…

Sephiroth couldn't watch anymore. His large black wing tore through his coat and he lifted into the air and flew away. She'd be his one day, one day very soon.


	2. Ch I: Her Wish

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Here's chapter one, hope everyone enjoys. REVIEWS PLEASE!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter I: Her Wish**

Tifa stood in the shower and let the hot water beat down on her back. Her hair clung to her all over and she swept it back with a single gesture. Cloud really knew where to touch her and how; he knew what she liked and what she didn't, but sometimes she wished he'd be a little more adventurous and try something new for a change. She braced herself against the tiled wall and sighed heavily. But Cloud was Cloud, and she knew he wasn't about to change his ways. So be it, sex would be mostly boring forever. She felt something else bothering her as they'd made love that evening, the feeling of exposure, like they'd been watched. But the building across from 7th Heaven had no windows is vacant anyway, but still, she couldn't shake the feeling that some voyeur had been observing them. She shuddered at the thought, but pushed it away. Serves them right for having the window open. Tifa shut the water off.

She went back into the bedroom to find Cloud sitting on the bed, looking through the window. She said nothing to him, only sat beside him. Even though they'd enjoyed themselves together, Tifa and Cloud still had a distance between them. It wasn't intentional, but for some reason, they just seemed to have a barrier there. It had been present since Aerith had come into the picture. Tifa knew Cloud fancied Aerith as well as her and in a perfect world he'd have had both women. Tifa knew Cloud felt for Aerith, but he never really admitted it. He remained faithful in body to Tifa, but she knew his heart and thoughts drifted toward the Cetra. There had been times when he'd accidentally call Tifa by Aerith's name. Tifa just let it go in one ear and out the other most of the time. But every time she felt that he'd rather be with Aerith, a part of Tifa would die. And she felt that right now, even after they'd just made love, she saw the look in his eyes, a look of regret and she'd noticed his lips mouth the other woman's name.

Tifa gulped and put her hand on his thigh, hoping he'd pay some attention to her. But he continued to stare out the window, as if he felt guilty about something.

"Are you alright?" She whispered. Cloud just nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine…just thinking about things." His voice was far away.

"Like what?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He stood and pulled his pants on. His shirt was tossed somewhere and he didn't bother to look for it. They were alone in the building anyway, so who cared if he was half naked.

"Of course." She sighed. He never told her anything that was on his mind. Not that he needed to though; she knew what he was thinking about…or whom. She got up and closed the window, getting dressed sounded like a good idea since the heating was out and it was cold. So without further ado, she grabbed a clean pair of pants and a t-shirt to wear around the house.

So it was. That was the extent of a conversation with Cloud. The man seldom spoke and when he did he didn't say much and hoped to end the conversation as soon as it started. Tifa fancied herself a man who loved only her, who desired no one else, and who had more than a two word vocabulary. Cloud did have something over most guys though and she favored him for it; he was kind and gentle, he never shouted or raised his voice at her for anything, and did whatever she asked of him if it was in his power to do so. He never complained about anything, and was always at her side when she needed him. That's why she stayed with him, that's why she loved him. But she knew he too was becoming impatient with her just she was with him. She remembered the way it was the first time she became pregnant. They were so happy, and Aerith's name was never mentioned. Cloud had smiled and told Tifa that he loved her and showered her with affection, but then they were in a battle…and she was wounded…That's when their relationship truly began to degrade. It was the same story the second and third times…it was like they weren't meant to have any children. Cloud had made mention that Aerith would make a fine mother. He'd said it in passing, not maliciously, but it was enough to make Tifa have doubts about his loyalty to her.

Now she sat alone on her bed, a hand over her womb in silent prayer. This was her last chance to keep her husband, she felt. When she'd thought about it right then, the sex did seem cold…dispassionate…she'd enjoyed it, but it was simply an act of procreation, one more attempt at creating life.

"I wish had a husband that loved me." She whispered through watery eyes. "I wish…he'd pay attention to me." She clutched at her gut. "I wish I could be a mother…" She fell to her side. "I wish…someone would rescue me from this horrible existence…"

Cloud started up the Fenrir. Tifa heard it from their bedroom. So she was alone now. He'd be back at some point, exactly when she wasn't sure, but at some point. She drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>With a soft thud and a whirl of black feathers, Sephiroth landed on his perch across from 7th Heaven. The window was closed, but he could fix that. He sensed Cloud was gone; the puppet's despicable scent had faded to a dull annoyance. Sephiroth closed the distance between himself and Tifa's bedroom, quietly pushing the window open to allow himself entry. She was there, fast asleep, completely unaware of his presence. He approached her side soundlessly, sitting upon the bed. His massive midnight wing hovered over her and he lowered just enough to smell her perfume gliding off her neck. He resisted the urge to take her with him; he still needed time to prepare for her, but soon, he'd take her from his hellhole and give her she deserves. Standing, Sephiroth bowed to the sleeping beauty and then proceeded to the window.<p>

"Until then, my princess." Then he was gone. He flew high above the city, the moonlight gleaming off of his silver mane. "Not to worry, sweet Tifa; your wretched husband will soon meet his fate…and you will be set free." He landed on the old abandoned ShinRa building. The moon cast a white glow all around him and he couldn't wait to see the day when she would be standing beside him as his bride.


	3. Ch II: All for Nothing

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. **

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter II: All for Nothing**

"_Is she really what you want, my son?"_ Jenova's voice echoed in Sephiroth's skull.

"Yes, Mother." He tossed his hair behind his shoulder. "I want only her and nobody else."

"_What makes that human so special?"_

"I do not know."

"_I think I do. You're not attracted to the girl; you're attracted to the prospect of stealing something precious from that little puppet." _

"Something _precious?_" Sephiroth scoffed as he began to straighten up the bedsheets. "She means nothing to him. I've been watching them for some time. Besides, I've already taken what was precious to him, the Ancient." He dusted the lamp shades and opened a trunk to place the lovely gowns inside the closet.

"_My son, why must you go to such great lengths to make her feel comfortable? She is just here for your pleasure, isn't she? A slave for your lusts?"_

"That will do, Mother."

"_A vessel for your seed?"_

"Enough, Mother."

"_What use does a whore have for finery?"_

"ENOUGH!" Sephiroth shredded the gown in his hands. He'd not meant to, but his rage flared in him just then. Taking a deep breath, he calmly corrected her. "She's not a whore, Mother. I'm not bringing her here solely for that purpose."

"_Why then?"_

"I don't know." He sat in the chair at the vanity table and looked into his reflection. "I don't know what I'm feeling, I only know that when I look at her, my heart feels like it's going to explode in my chest….and I feel sick to my stomach."

"_Then you should stay away from such a woman."_

"How can I? I feel as if I am to die if she does not come to me soon."

"_You are hanging on to your human emotions, you must learn to let go of them." _

"I don't want to…I won't…" He stood and continued to fill the closet. "I want her…and I will always have what I want."

Jenova did not respond. She just left him to his own devices; soon he'd see things her way.

* * *

><p>Tifa handed Cloud's plate to him without a word. He'd been pretty well silent for about three weeks, and he was still…as if waiting for something. He glanced at the calendar on the wall as if he had to keep reminding himself of the date.<p>

"What's the matter, Cloud?" Tifa was beginning to get worried.

"Have you tested yet?" He shoveled food in his mouth.

"No. I haven't…"

"Then maybe you should."

"Don't you think it's a bit soon?"

Cloud didn't say anything. So he _was_ frustrated with her. In truth, she'd tested that morning, but she wasn't pregnant. She gulped and continued to eat quietly.

"I don't know, Tifa…" Cloud sighed. "I guess…you just weren't meant to be a mother." He got up to clear his plate from the table.

She didn't know how he meant it, but that statement was cold and harsh. It stabbed her in the chest. She stood, her hands on the table. With a deep gasp of breath she turned to face her husband with a question that had been plaguing her thoughts for the past 7 years.

"Cloud, if Sephiroth had not killed Aerith…would you still have married me?" Her heart stopped as soon as she'd asked the question.

Cloud still had his back to her, and rested his hands on the counter, as if thinking deeply. "No." He sighed with agitation. "And if I knew that you couldn't bare my children, I wouldn't have married you anyway."

Tifa's body tensed. Her heart that had once been trying to climb up her throat slid back downward and dropped hard on her stomach. So that's how he feels? She bit back the urge to cry. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. "I…I see…so…that's the way it is."

"That's the way it is." Cloud slowly turned to face her, his expression looked sad, regretful, but she knew all he regretted was that Aerith's death had not been her own. He wiped his hands clean, then approached her. He put his arms around her and hugged her the way he did when they were still just friends, and he gave her a peck of a kiss on the cheek. "I have my bags packed and Fenrir is loaded."

Tifa said nothing, only stared into space.

"I'm leaving; I just wanted to see if you were pregnant first. I'd stay for the sake of our child if you were. But since you're not, I'm going now." He grabbed his keys from the hook by the door. "You can file for divorce if you want…or just let the statute of limitations run out…either way, do what you want." He closed the door and started up the engine.

Tifa just stared at the closed garage door. She felt completely numb, unable to move. So that's was it then. She always knew it would happen, she just didn't know how long it would be until he finally left. Turning around, Tifa silently trudged into the bar and stood there staring. With stiff almost robotic movements, she lifted a random bottle of liquor from under the counter and popped it open. She didn't even bother to grab a glass; she just turned the bottle up.

A few hours later, Tifa found herself sitting in her bedroom, the bottle still in hand, though empty. She was staring at pictures of a more contented time. Photographs from when the whole team was together and they all had someone to lean on. Now everyone had gone their own separate ways. Cid went back home to Shera, Yuffie returned to her parents, Barret took Marlene, Vincent had pretty much taken up a permanent residence at the Ancient Capital, Denzel had been adopted by a more stable family, and she had no earthly idea what Reeve was up to. And here she was, dumped by the one man she'd waited her entire life to be with. It was all for nothing. She wished she'd not waited; she wished she'd have gone down another path. But hind sight is always 20/20.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I made Cloud a real jerk. But all is well in the world of fan fiction. XD<strong>


	4. Ch III: Tender

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Sorry this one's so short,****REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter III: Tender**

"Tifa…" He lifted her shirt to breathe in her scent. She smelled so lovely. He replaced the shirt in the closet just as it was. He pleased that Cloud's annoying scent was rapidly fading. Most of his possessions were gone as well as his blasted motorcycle. Tifa's scent was still strong, but too had diminished. A couple of suitcases worth of her clothes were gone, as well as her toiletries. They did not leave together, that much he could tell. He sighed with exasperation. He'd hoped to take her away with him tonight, but it seemed that he'd be delayed. "Where have you gone, princess?"

* * *

><p>"I still don't get how ya put up wit that asshole all this time." Barret said gruffly as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. "I jus can't believe that dumbass left <em>you!<em>" His fists balled up.

"I always knew he'd do it." Tifa sighed heavily as she idly pour the syrup over the pancakes.

"I always knew he wadn't no good as soon as he joined the team." He reclined back in the chair. "Just wanna kill'im."

"It's alright, Barret."

"No it ain't! Just 'cause you ain't had no babies."

"I think there's more than just that." Tifa began to eat. "I think he only asked me to marry him to either fill the void…or because he felt sorry for me. And he wanted me to have a baby for the sake of having an excuse to stay."

"Yer probably right, but that just makes me hate the bastard even more." Barret gnashed his teeth together. "Ya know, Tifa, if I'da thought ya'd say 'yes' I'da asked ya to marry _me._"

Tifa closed her eyes and smiled with a little contentment. "Thank you, Barret. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have accepted."

"I know I'da treated ya better. And I don't give no never mind if you don't have no babies, we got Marlene."

"Yeah, it probably would have been better that way anyway." She unconsciously scraped at the sticky syrup still coating her plate.

"But, 'nuff talkin' like that, now, I'm too old for you anyways." He laughed a little and took her empty plate away.

Tifa allowed a small giggle. "I guess you're right."

"You need a man that can take care a'you, Tifa." He poured her a glass of milk. "An' I hope you find one. Yer one beautiful woman, Tifa. Any man, I don' care who it is, would be a damn fool to cast you aside."

"Thank you." She sighed heavily. "So what should I do, Barret? Should I get a divorce, or wait for the statute of limitations to run out?"

"Do what ya feel's right."

"I think I'll wait it out for a while."

"Well, you can wait it out right here if ya want. Ain't nobody gonna keep ya out. Stay as long as ya want."

"I don't want to be a burden on you."

"Tifa, you ain't no burden, never was, never will be."

"Thanks you, Barret; you're a real friend."

* * *

><p>"<em>Where has she gone?"<em>

"I believe she's gone to stay with friends."

"_Why do you believe that?"_

"That's what humans do when faced with great despair…they seek out the company of those dear to them."

"_So, will you go after her?"_

"No…I will allow her time to heal…her heart is tender." Sephiroth knew not why he said such a thing. Up until recently, he cared for nothing and nobody but himself.

"_Tender?"_ Jenova laughed. _"Humans are so weak!"_

"I have no care for humans…but Mother, I implore you, do not speak ill of Tifa."

"_Have it your way." _

Sephiroth went to the window and looked out at the mountains beneath the darkening sky. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. If he could stretch his aura out far enough, perhaps he could trace her whereabouts. He didn't intend on taking her away yet, but he could let his presence be known.


	5. Ch IV: Vacation

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Sorry if this chapter isn't exactly up to snuff; it was better when I wrote it the first time, but I accidentally hit "no" when I went to save it...so I had to re-write everything. And naturally it's not as good as it would've been. But I hope everyone enjoys. REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter IV: Vacation**

The guest bedroom as quiet and plain, but it was comfortable and warm as well. Tifa had no problem getting to sleep that night. But her dreams were not so warm.

Cloud was there, he stood before her in the kitchen like he'd done days before. His head was inclined toward her just enough to hid his eyes beneath his hair.

"Tifa."

"Y-yes?"

"I don't love you."

"I know."

"I never did."

"I-I know."

"I thought I did…but then Aerith came along…You're nothing compared to her."

"I know…."

Then something else happened. A figure stood behind Cloud, the figure of a man. He was taller, broader. The figure was nothing but a shadow, but she knew it was a separate entity completely. Cloud didn't move and Tifa felt a chill run up and down her spine. The figure behind him lifted an arm and struck through Cloud and he disappeared like he was just that, a cloud. Tifa clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise and she stood perfectly still as the apparition approached her slowly. She didn't bother to speak, not that she had a voice anymore anyway.

The figure put his hand out to her. Tifa didn't know what to do. She then recoiled, doing an about-face and running into the dark void that stretched out before her.

Tifa opened her eyes. She was drenched in sweat and shivered from the chill that overcame her. Her hair was tangled over the bed sheets and she had to catch her breath.

"What was that all about?" She muttered softly before getting up and moseying into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection. "I hate this." She put a hand over her heart. She splashed her face with water and sighed heavily. "I need a vacation. I need to go have some fun…"

She pushed her hair back and returned to bed. She had no more dreams that night, and she was glad for it.

* * *

><p>"You ladies, have fun now." Barret said as he waved goodbye to Tifa and Marlene. Tifa had saved up a good amount of money for her and Cloud to take a vacation, but now that he was gone, she was going to spend it on herself and someone else she cared about. So she gathered up Marlene and the two of them were off to the Gold Saucer for some fun and games.<p>

"Tifa, I want to see the Chocobo races!" Marlene squealed happily, dragging her through the tunnel toward the racetrack. Tifa spent several hundred gil on the Chocobos, betting numerous times, and each time somehow bet on the winning pair. They played the games in the Wonder Square and had tons of fun.

Tifa completely forgot about Cloud that night, not caring about anything except herself and Marlene. She was happy and that was all that mattered. Having a child with her was far better company that an adult, however, she'd be seeking out Yuffie's company when she made the trip to Costa Del Sol for weekend full of sun and bikinis.

As they boarded the Gondolas for one last ride, Tifa looked out over the scene and sighed heavily. It was beautiful and breathtaking. She was content for one brief moment, until the memory of Cloud alone in here with Aerith tumbled forth into her mind. It was repulsive; her man was in here with _her! _Tifa Bit her lip and she had to clutch the sides of her pants to keep her hands from trembling. How long was this ride going to be?

Marlene looked up at Tifa with shiny eyes. "Tifa?" She leaned toward the woman. "Tifa? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Marlene."

"Are you sure?" The girl moved to Tifa's side and took her hand. "You're hands are shaking. Are you afraid of heights?"

Tifa couldn't help but smile at her and put her arm around her. "No, Marlene. I'm just tired, we played hard today."

"Yeah, and we'll play some more tomorrow, right?"

"Sure thing." Tifa smiled brightly and hugged Marlene close. "I can't wait!"

As Tifa slept in her bed that night, she again found herself in the kitchen of her home staring down her husband. He closed his eyes with exasperation and said once more…

"I don't love you."

"I know." Was her only reply.

"Then why do you beg me to stay?"

Tifa didn't reply. She only handed him his keys and motioned toward the door. As Cloud left, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her small form. Hot breath beat on her shoulder and she tensed in the firm hold.

"Please! Let go!" Tifa forced herself from the grip, startling herself awake.

"I would have thought that taking a vacation would've relieved some stress." She muttered as she sat up and pushed her hair back.

* * *

><p>"Damn it." Sephiroth groaned as he fell backward upon his bed. "How else can I possibly get through to her?"<p>

"_Perhaps, you need to just forget it."_

"No!" Sephiroth sat up once more. "I must have her…Even if only in her dreams. But her thoughts continue to fall upon _him_."

"_She is weak in her heart." _

"But she is strong in mind and body…weakness of the heart is of little consequence."

* * *

><p>Tifa was both relieved and aggrieved to leave the Gold Saucer. She'd had massive amounts of fun and didn't want to see it end so soon, but she was ready to stop playing and go relax on the beach with Yuffie. Tifa didn't like the idea of crossing the sea by herself, but she knew that Yuffie would be waiting at Costa Del Sol for her.<p>

The short voyage was a little bumpy, but she just stayed below and took a nap until the ship docked. Luckily, she had no dreams.

"Oh my god! This is going to be great! I can't wait to get out there. I'm gonna lay out on the sand, get a nice tan, and drink lemonade until I can't take it anymore!" Yuffie was pumped and Tifa was starting to get there.

She wondered if it was a good idea to go on another trip after having just finished one, but Tifa just shrugged it off, the less she thought of Cloud, the better…the only problem with that is…Costa Del Sol was were Cloud was _supposed_ to take her for their honeymoon when they got married…but he didn't. Tifa shook it from her mind, instead of associating the beautiful resort with something sad, she decided to create a new memory with her best friend.

Yuffie grabbed her hand and they checked into a hotel first, dropping their stuff off in their room before changing into their bathing suits. Yuffie's suit was a yellow two-piece with purple stripes and she was awesomely cute in it. She jumped around the room happily while waiting for Tifa to come out. Tifa on the other hand was a little more self-concious about her bathing suit and felt strange in it. It was…of course…something she'd intended to wear for Cloud, but he never did see her in it.

"Come on, Tifa! What's taking so long?"

"I'm coming." Tifa wearily stepped out from the bathroom and Yuffie hit the ceiling.

"Oh…my…GOD!"

"What?" Tifa flushed red and she felt embarrassed. "So it does look bad…"

"No!" Yuffie squealed. "You look amazing! Like a supermodel!"

"Really?" Tifa turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Her bathing suit was a white two-piece bikini, tethered together with only very small strings. It was definitely meant for an intimate holiday for lovers. Tifa wasn't exactly very sure about wearing it in public, but she didn't have another suit and didn't want to waist her money on buying another, and anyway, it's not like her husband would mind if she showed a little more skin than was necessary.

"Tifa, you look so cute, if that _dip-ass_ of a husband of yours could see you now, he'd be on his knees begging you to take him back!" Yuffie stated so matter-of-factly.

"Thanks, Yuffie…but I wouldn't take that bastard back if he threatened suicide." Tifa crossed her arms and gulped down an impending scream.

"Oh well, forget about that guy, there's tons of available honeys here for you! And I'm sure anyone of them is better than _Cloud_." Yuffie sang happily as she dragged Tifa down to the beach. "Heck, I don't about you, Tifa, but at this point, I'm willing to bet that even _Sephiroth_ is better than Cloud!"

"You're probably right." Tifa laughed at Yuffie's rather witty joke.

The warmth of the sun, coolness of the air, and the smell of salt from the sea, nothing was better than relaxing at the beach. Both women were ready to kick back and tan and drink tons of lemonade…_hard _lemonade. As Tifa and Yuffie strutted across the sand, pair after pair of masculine eyes widened and glued themselves to the sleek form of Tifa Lockheart-Strife. Yuffie laughed at the number of nosebleeds and boners from the on-lookers, while Tifa either didn't notice, or just didn't care.

The next several hours were spent sunbathing, splashing in the water, eating junk food, and most of all…Laughing. Tifa's pain was gone, not matter how short-lived it may be.

"You got so many looks today!" Yuffie laughed when they returned to their room that evening.

"Did I?" Tifa blushed lightly, "I didn't notice."

"You really need to think higher of yourself, Tifa."

"It's easier said than done. When you're husband leaves you without giving a real reason, you can't help but lack self-esteem." She fell on her bed yawning.

"Yeah…but you need to _forget_ him! He's _not worth your time!_" Yuffie reached over and slapped her on the butt as a petty punishment.

"I know…" She got up and went to the bathroom. "I guess a shower is order."

* * *

><p>"Tifa is in Costa Del Sol."<p>

"_Will you go?"_

"No." Sephiroth laid down upon the bed he'd made up for Tifa and threw the sheets around him. "I will try once more to make her think of me." This time instead of just entering her dreams and frightening her, he'd make his own dreams hers.


	6. Ch V: Fantasy

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter V: Fantasy**

Sephiroth was naked beneath the sheets of his bed. He wasn't one to wear much when relaxing. Not that it mattered anyway, with the dreams he'd be having that night. The best way to get into Tifa' head he'd figured, would not be to just barge into her dreams, but to create a new fantasy of his own design, and place it into her head.

"Stay out of my mind tonight, Mother…Tifa is the only one aloud to be there."

Jenova's consciousness returned to her own body, which lay in hibernation, mostly dead.

With a big stretch, Sephiroth relaxed and became still, conjuring up a lovely dream for his intended bride…

Tifa stood in a garden, the most beautiful garden there was. Roses bloomed everywhere and the shrubbery was perfectly manicured, a fountain stood in the center, spraying out beautiful clear water, some koi swam carelessly in the bottom of the fountain. Tifa wandered aimlessly through the garden until she came to rest on the edge if the fountain. She gazed down with admiration at the golden speckled fish enjoying their lives. She then looked at her own reflection. Her hair was styled in ringlets and twisted up on her head, secured by a golden comb. She was dressed in a pale green sleeveless dress which stretched to the ground, and had an empire waistline that showcased her ample breasts.

"You look like a Greek Goddess." A deep, sultry voice purred behind her. Tifa didn't not turn around, she felt no need. The owner of the voice approached her and lifted her from the fountain, turning her so that she faced away from their reflection and that her back was against his front.

"But…I'm not Greek." She whispered.

"It doesn't matter…you're still a goddess." He bent and kissed the side of her neck. She was much smaller than he. "Come to me, Tifa…and I will take all the pain and suffering away."

Tifa uttered a soft moan as he caressed her breasts through the silk of her dress, painfully aware that she wore absolutely nothing beneath the thin fabric. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, just letting him fondle her as he pleased.

Sephiroth grinned darkly. Her body was so smooth, so soft. But unfortunately she was a very vague image. Just as Sephiroth appeared to be a shadow in her dreams, she appeared as such in his. He could see her just a little clearer though, making out her lines and curves, though she was still very blurry. But, with that aside, Sephiroth continued to feel her. He slid one hand down her front, to the secret place between her legs. He massaged her there tenderly, all the while, placing tiny tender kisses on her neck. He'd grown erect immediately, though he kept it from touching her, but he felt she was ready for it. He pressed himself against her rear, letting his naked length push her dress forward.

She felt him caress her thigh and she turned to face him. It was the figure from her other dreams, though this time she wasn't frightened of him, but why? She shook the mystery from her mind and leaned upward to capture his mouth in a deep kiss. She pressed against his length, giving them both sweet friction.

Sephiroth moaned against her lips and let his tongue mingle with hers. The feel of her silk dress upon his member drove him wild and he began to grind against her and thrust between her legs to feel the fabric pleasure him. Tifa didn't seem to mind though, but she giggled and placed her lips against his ear.

"You're quite excited, I see." She murmured.

"It's your fault…you keep teasing me." He purred. "Let me inside you…" He began to draw up her dress, but her hand stopped him.

"No." She sighed. "This is as far as you go."

What? This wasn't part of the fantasy. She was supposed to give in easily!

"I will let you touch and caress…" Tifa whispered breathily, obviously aching to go further. "But anything further is for my husband…" She stepped away from him. "Marry me if you want more."

Then they both woke up.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth's eyes flashed open and he sat straight up in his bed. "What the <em>hell!<em>" He tossed the sheets off of him and stormed angrily toward the window. He looked out at the sun peeking over the mountains and he roared in rage, "She _will_ be _mine!_" His blood boiled and he grabbed his pants and armor, throwing them on with great agitation. "'Marry me if you want more'" He sneered, grabbing Masamune from the wall. "Well, I accept that as a proposal, Princess!" His wing busted from his back, and he jumped out the window.

* * *

><p>Tifa yawned as she stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to make sense of such a lovely dream. It felt so real. She could still feel the man's touch upon her skin. Her nipples were hard and her little channel was so wet. She pressed her legs closed and groaned in discomfort. She was glad to be wearing pajamas, as her friend was sleeping in the same room. She hoped she'd remained quiet through the night. But her fear was confirmed when she rolled over and saw that Yuffie was already away and trying to stifle a giggle.<p>

"What's that matter?" Tifa tried to sound nonchalant.

"Oh…nothing, you were just talking in your sleep."

"What? Really?" Tifa's face turned blood red.

"Well…it was mostly moaning, really…" Yuffie giggled. "But you did talk a little just before you woke up…though I didn't quite make out what you said."

Tifa just inhaled deeply. "Good." She got up and went to the bathroom. She glared into the mirror as she brushed her teeth. _I wonder who that guy was…his voice sounded so familiar._ She hurriedly brushed out her hair and gussied up, ready for another day in paradise.

It was simply a repeat of the day before, sun, water, alcoholic lemonade, and junk food. It was the perfect life.

Tifa sighed whistfully as she dunked a chip into the cheese dip. The sun beat down on her and she soaked it up completely. She never wanted to be pale again. With a smile, her eyes wandered around the people crowding the beach. She wasn't looking for anyone in particular, just taking in her surroundings. But her smile faltered when she saw a young man with a muscular build…with a familiar blonde coiffure. She sat straight up in her chair and slapped Yuffie on the stomach.

"What the hell, Tifa?" Yuffie barked.

Tifa only nodded toward the young blonde and whispered softly, "You…don't think that's…"

Yuffie's eyes almost bulged out of her head. "I dunno…Tif…it kind looks like…"

Tifa got up and walked slowly toward the blonde stranger. Her heart beat thunderously in her chest. What if it was him? What would she say? How would she confront him? Nervous fear roused inside her, but she strode toward him, Yuffie hot on her heals trying to coax her back to their spot.

Tifa continued toward the man, a growing sense of jealousy rising inside her as she eyed him with a young redheaded woman. She soon came to stand behind him; she drew in a sharp breath and tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned around and looked up at Tifa questioningly. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" The man asked politely as Tifa felt all the blood rush toward her face and back again.

"N-no…excuse me…I-I thought you were somebody else." Tifa became rigid and turned around, completely pale. Great, she'd have to tan all over again! Tifa trudged back to Yuffie – who'd long since returned to their spot – and growled under her breath in anger, having just embarrassed herself completely.

"I'm ready to go, Yuffie." Tifa said as she hurriedly began to pack up their stuff.

"Oh, okay, what do you want to do now?" Yuffie was more than happy to leave the beach; she was ready for some shopping.

"I want to go home."

"Huh? But, Tifa, we just got here yesterday!" She whined with dismay.

"I know, but I can't take it anymore, I want to go back home!" Tifa stormed back to the hotel.

Yuffie was aggravated that they were already leaving and more than ready to bitch-slap and body-slam Tifa for it.

"Well_, you_ don't have to leave yet." Tifa said as she put on some clothes and packed her bags.

"Alright then, I won't."

"That's fine by me, but if I'm going to keep being reminded of him, I might as well be reminded at home."

"You've got to get over it!" Her face was dead serious. "Do you _like_ being miserable?"

"No." Tifa lowered her eyes.

"Then stay and have fun."

"I don't want to have fun. I want to go home!" She grabbed her bag and went out the door.

"Fine then! Go back home to your miserable, meaningless life!" Yuffie screamed, "I can't stand it, Tifa, if this is the way you'll be forever then don't bother talking to me anymore!" She slammed the door and fell upon her bed crying.

Tifa marched in a fury out of the inn. Yuffie hadn't meant it, had she? Tifa brooded all the way home. No, she hadn't lost yet another friend, had she? With a sigh of great despair, Tifa just trekked on back to Midgar.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth landed on a rooftop in Costa Del Sol that evening. Looking around for a clear spot, he leapt down and followed Tifa's remaining essence toward the inn. He hid his sword beneath his coat; he did not wish to have a confrontation as he was busy with other tasks. Approaching the desk, he waited for assistance, but eventually resorted to tapping the little bell. A young woman appeared momentarily.<p>

"Yes Sir, how can I help you?" She smiled brightly, but it dulled a little and turned flirtatious when she got a load of him.

"I'm looking for a guest." He tried to remain calm and collected.

"I guest?" The girl bit her lip and eyed his bare chest peeking out of his coat. "Are you sure you're looking to _be_ a guest?"

"I'm quite sure. The name of the guest I'm seeking is Tifa Lockheart."

"Oh…a woman?" The girl frowned.

"Obviously." Sephiroth's patience was already thin enough.

The girl looked through her computer and sought out Tifa's name. "Tifa Lockheart" was not in the database, however, "Tifa Lockheart-_Strife_"was.

"I'm sorry, Sir, there is not a Tifa Lockheart here." Her smile brightened up.

"Impossible.

"I'm so sorry, Sir."

"Are you lying to me?"

"Why would I lie?"

Sephiroth knew the little bitch was lying, and he was three and a half seconds away from slicing her head from her shoulders, but he didn't. Instead Sephiroth just breathed in deeply and turned away from the desk. There were more pressing matters than executing a worthless human. He tried to stretch his aura enough to seek her out, but it was true…Tifa was gone. With great lamentation, Sephiroth turned to the girl and thanked her coldly.

Unbeknownst to Sephiroth, a certain young ninja heard him inquiring about Tifa. She trembled in fear at the sight of the tall imposing man and hauled ass back to her room, completely forgetting why she went to the lobby. Yuffie tumbled back on her bed and dialed Tifa's cell, but as it began to ring, she heard the chiming of Tifa's ringtone. With horror-stricken eyes, Yuffie approached the dresser and found Tifa's forgotten phone resting on the charger.


	7. Ch VI: First Morning

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...though...I wish I at least owned Sephiroth. And as always...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter VI: First Morning**

Tifa was awash with relief when she flipped on the light of her house. It was just as she'd left it a week prior; an unmade bed, filthy dishes in the sink. She dropped her suitcases off at her closet, not bothering to unpack. Instead she fell in a heap upon her bed. It was nice to be home and to be completely alone. It was dark as hell outside and still cold; the heat was out as she recalled. She didn't even bother to undress, instead just went straight to sleep.

Sephiroth was so outraged by the time he finally chased Tifa back to 7th Heaven, that "outraged" was clearly an understatement. If a god to could be tired, Sephiroth was. He'd flown non-stop until he'd made it to her house. Across land and sea, he'd flown, hunting her diligently. And now he was perched upon her windowsill, gazing upon her still form. She lay motionless, completely oblivious to him. Sephiroth stepped to the floor, quietly strode over to her, and watched her as she slept. All the fury that had filled him, cooled at the very sight of her. She had a power over him that he could not fathom. He sat down beside her, watching her. How he'd longed to finally have her alone.

She stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Sephiroth did not panic at her movement, Tifa looked up at him, though she did not really see him, then she just rolled over and returned to sleep. With quick, silent movements, Sephiroth gathered her in his arms. He relished the feeling of holding her against his chest. With no further ado, Sephiroth leapt out the window.

Tifa slept so soundly all the way back to Sephiroth's manor. She did not stir, she did not wake. His body warmed her, protected her. As soon as he reached the manor, he slid in through the window and placed her upon the bed. With ghostly hands he undressed her. Her nude figure upon the bed was such a tempting sight; he wished to ravish her then and there. With much restraint, he slid a nightgown over her head. He tucked her in under the sheets. As she lay there, Sephiroth continued to watch her a little longer. She was truly magnificent to him, though he couldn't quite understand why. At length, he bent and kissed her upon her forehead.

Sephiroth shut the window to keep the snowy air from smothering her, and then headed for the bedroom door. As he opened the door, he turned back to her. "Goodnight, my darling princess."

Tifa woke to intense warmth and the shining sun on her face. She rolled over on the soft sheets and snuggled deeper into her bed. For a brief moment, she'd completely forgotten the night before, thinking she was still in Costa Del Sol with Yuffie. But then the unusual softness of the sheets puzzled her and the smell of tea and cake wafted into her nose. Then there was the smell of burning wood, the sound of a crackling fire. Opening her eyes, Tifa found herself staring at a lit fireplace. She waited for a moment to let it register. Beside her on the nightstand sat a silver tray of sweet delicacies. She closed her eyes once more, but snapped them open again in surprise. She sat bolt-upright. What was this place? The room was the most lavish place she'd ever seen. The walls were cream and bordered in gold, the dressing on the large canopy bed were sapphire blue and gold brocade. A marble fireplace took up a corner and a large, beautiful cherry finished vanity table took up another. She slid out of the bed and looked all around. The vaulted ceiling only added to the size of the room, and the massive windows only helped. The windows were draped in sapphire and drawn back to allow natural light to enter the room. The floor was hardwood, though warm due to the fire. It was like she'd died and gone to heaven. The room was beautiful and she couldn't believe she was there. However, alarm soon set in when she realized that not only was she in a strange place, she was wearing strange clothes. Her fear rose higher when she noticed of all things, she was wearing the Grecian dress from her dream, only it was black and not green. She shuddered at the thought that someone had changed her clothes; she knew she was not wearing any underwear either and that didn't do at all to ease her nerves. She felt her stomach jumping inside her and she couldn't contain it anymore and rushed into the open bathroom to christen the pure white toilet.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Tifa relaxed against the wall. She grabbed a towel from the folded pile beside the claw foot tub and wiped her mouth clean. She looked down with dizzy eyes, wondering if she was a mess, thankfully, she didn't get any on her clothes. With another deep breath, Tifa rose from the floor and returned to sit on the side of her bed. She didn't sense any danger, and she didn't feel sore and there were no visible bruises. So she guessed she was alright. Tifa turned to the silver tray beside her and found the cup of tea still steaming. Her stomach gurgled and she realized just how hungry she was now. She took the cup and breathed it in. It smelled spicy and savory. She wasn't sure if she should ingest any of these things, but she figured if anyone wanted to kill her, it would have been done already. So without anymore ado, she sipped the tea and was blown away by the amazing flavor. It was like cinnamon and sugar, with the strength of something English. She grabbed one of the pastries; an apple filled tart of some kind, and was delighted by it as well. In no time at all, her breakfast was devoured and she was lying upon her bed, full and content.

Tifa stared up at the canopy over her. She began to think about her situation. Alright, so what if she was in a strange place wearing strange clothes? She was in a luxurious palace it seemed, wearing real silk, in warmth, and someone – she didn't really care who – served her the most delicious breakfast she'd ever tasted. It's not like she was in a dungeon or anything, so why try to view it in a negative light? She wished someone would rescue her, right? And it seemed she got her wish. But what now? She got up and opened the window, the sun was shining brightly and the cool air blew inside. She first saw mountains, but as soon as she looked downward, she was met with a lush garden perfectly groomed and blooming with roses. It was the garden from her dream.

"Did I have a premonition?" She shook her head and shut the window. "Well, it's a bit cold to go outside, so I guess I'll look around the house." She went to the door and poked her head out into the hall. After seeing that the coast was clear, she stepped out and turned down the hall, eying the beautiful details along the walls. After just a few short feet, she found herself on a gallery facing down at the foyer where the front door was. It was absurdly ostentatious. The walls looked as if they were made of marble and trimmed in gilded wood. An enormous crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, extending downward to hang just between the twin staircases. She'd never seen this place before, yet she was certain she had. It was like a memory from long, long ago. She continued down the stairs and found the dining room equally as extravagant. The kitchen however was a little more humble. It had only plain white walls and wooden details. As she continued from room to room, Tifa found herself smiling brightly, almost skipping through the halls.

From the shadow's Sephiroth kept an eye on her. Tifa showed no signs of trying to leave the house, so he relaxed and withdrew to his library. He had no business to attend to, but he thought she should first become accustomed to her new home. For the first time in a long time, Sephiroth had no intention of striking fear into her heart. He knew she'd know him just as well as he knew her, which is why he was unsure of how to approach her.

"Mother, how do I make her come to me?"

"Make her come to you? You should just take her." Only this time Jenova's voice was not in his head. She was literally in the same room with him, sitting in a chair nearby.

Jenova had managed to rejuvenate and regenerate her body to what it had been. The use of mako helped considerably, and it was easier once Sephiroth had returned her head to her. Now she sat there, nude as she preferred to be, leaning on one arm with her leg crossed over the other.

"I cannot, Mother." Sephiroth turned toward her. "I can't do anything to harm her."

"Perhaps you've weakened." She grinned.

"I have not…" He grit his teeth and held back the sudden surge of rage in him. "…but she fuels something inside of me that I cannot understand. Now tell me…what does a woman want?"

Jenova sighed. She closed her eyes and stood. She went to her son's side and put her arm about his shoulders.

"A woman…wants to be spoiled…for lack of a better word…." She whispered in his ear. "Romance her…dote upon her…give her everything…make her feel indebted to you…make her feel like she owes herself to you."

"That will work?"

"Yes…my son…" Jenova turned him to face her; she gripped his arms and closed the distance between them. "But please…don't forget about your dear mother…"

Sephiroth backed away from her and went to his desk. He pulled out some paper and began to pen a letter to Tifa.

"You're writing to her?" Jenova wanted to laugh.

"Yes. I don't know how to convey what I feel in words, but if I write them down, it would be easier."

Jenova just sighed with slight annoyance. A _letter? _Surely her brilliant minded son could come up with something better than that! But she let him be. Sooner or later, he'd come to his senses and see that the only woman meant to be in his life was his mother. Jenova tossed her silver hair over her shoulder and left the room.

* * *

><p>Barret moseyed over to the phone, in no hurry to answer it. But he did as was met the frantic voice of Yuffie.<p>

"_Barret? Barret!"_ She cried from the other end.

"What's goin' on?" He wasn't really that worried; Yuffie often called sounding like she was dying. He wondered why she just didn't have her parents help. "Whatcha need now?"

"_Barret! It's Tifa!"_

"What?" Now Barret was worried.

"_Tifa's gone!" _

"Wha-what do ya mean, _gone?_"

Yuffie told Barret that she'd seen Sephiroth in Costa Del Sol and that he was looking for Tifa. She then mentioned that Tifa had left her phone at the inn and she wasn't picking up at 7th Heaven.

"I'm really worried, instead of going home I followed Tifa back to Midgar, but when I got to the bar, she was gone."

"Did you wait to see if she just went out?" Barret tried to sound cool, but really his heart was thundering in his chest. Perhaps she was fine and just went to the grocery store or something…yeah…that was it…she'd be back, right?

"I thought that…so I waited around to see if she'd come back, but I've been here for _hours!_"

"And you said that Sephiroth was lookin' for her?"

"Yeah, but she'd left before he showed up…but what if he…"

"You stay right there, Yuffie, I'm comin'." Barret hung up the phone. "_Marlene!_"

Barret was reluctant to bring Marlene with him on such a mission, but he also didn't want her to stay by herself.


	8. Ch VII: Love Letter

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...yada...yada...and as always...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter VII: Love Letter**

Barret, holding Marlene tightly by the hand, rushed into 7th Heaven where Yuffie was waiting for them.

"Have ya heard anythin' yet?"

"No, but I called Vincent."

"Where's Tifa?" Marlene dashed toward Yuffie. "Is she alright?"

"We don't know." Vincent uttered from the corner. "I'm quite positive that Sephiroth has taken her."

"How are you so sure?" Yuffie asked, her eyes watering.

Vincent said nothing. He just remained quiet.

"_Vincent!" _Yuffie urged, but he shot her a deadly glare.

"Who else? I doubt she ran away…her bags are in her bedroom." Vincent sighed.

"So what do we do? We don't even know where he took her!" Barret clenched his fists.

"And another thing…shouldn't we inform Cloud?" Vincent asked; his disposition just as cool and unfeeling as ever.

"Huh?" Yuffie bit her lip.

"Do ya think that son-of-a-bitch would even care?" Barret growled.

"He's the only one of us who knows how to defeat Sephiroth." Vincent stood and stepped out of his dark corner. "And he _is_ her husband, after all."

* * *

><p>Tifa had returned to her bedroom. She relaxed against the back of the chair and stared contentedly into the fire. She had not had any kind of contact since the day before, and she found it lovely. As she gazed into the fireplace, her eyes began to feel heavy and she slowly drifted off to sleep. But then, a knock on the door disturbed her. She stood quickly, rushing for the door. Though she was happy to spend time alone, the sudden prospect of seeing someone excited her. But to her dismay, as soon as she opened the door, there was nobody there. She looked around the hall, but no one was in sight. But gleaming silver caught her eye and she looked down to find another tray of food with an envelope on it. She lifted the tray and carried it to the table beside her chair.<p>

After she set the other tray outside the door, she returned to the chair and eyed the envelope intently. At length, she picked it up and opened it slowly. It was penned in a glorious hand, the scrolling letters danced about the page elegantly. She was captivated by it even before she began to read it. But finally she stopped adoring the script and read it.

_My Darling Tifa, _

_I know not what to say to you; I have not a grasp on the feelings you provoke in me. My body is__ awash in both pain and pleasure. Since I first lay eyes on you, I knew I could have no one else.__You are a goddess in my eyes, the greatest beauty on the Planet. I apologize for not expressing my thoughts in person, but for the first time in my life, I haven't the strength to. My heart beats thunderously in my chest, and my mind is in a haze. I have no control over it; I have never before experienced anything like it. I beg of you, my princess, help me to discover what these feelings are that you have aroused in me. So for that purpose, I have brought you to this place, a house I have built just for you. You may roam around as you please, no one will dare tell you otherwise. You need not concern yourself with daily chores; they will be taken care of. All you must do is be as a princess…and if you allow me, I shall soon create you as a queen. If there's anything at all that you desire, you have only but to ask. _

_-Your Angel_

Tifa folded the letter and replaced it in the envelope. Her heart felt heavy, but in a wonderful way. She then turned to the lunch delivered to her and ate with warm thoughts in her mind. So, who was this Angel that seemed so enamored with her? He seemed like a kind master, and she wondered if he was there as well, somewhere. Cloud had never written her a love letter…he'd never romanced her either. Whoever this man was, he definitely gained points just by what he'd done thus far.

As she sat quietly, assessing it all in her mind. Who was this man? He must have been someone she'd met before. Before going on about whom it could be, she decided to run down the list of who it couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be: Vincent, Cid, Barret…definitely not Rude or Reno…and most certainly not _Cloud_. But then there was the list of possibilities: Reeve and Rufus – them only because they'd be the only ones rich enough to afford a place like this – Don Corneo…yuck! She shoved that one away immediately! Then who else? Out of the three, if it were any of them, she'd guess Rufus, not only had he the funds, but the eloquence to write such a lovely letter. At this point, she didn't really care if it was him or not; he wasn't exactly what she'd call undesirable, he was good-looking and near her age. But no, it wasn't him. It had to be someone who was completely smitten with her. But as she stretched out her memory, there was no one she could think of that it could be. The only other man that she knew was Sephiroth, but what would _he_ want with a woman like her?

* * *

><p>Cloud lay up inside the plain room of the inn without much on his mind. He hadn't any business to attend to, so he was pretty much just being a lazy bastard. Skipping around from town to town had been fun for the first couple days of his new single life, but after a few weeks he was starting to get bored of it.<p>

"Maybe I should just go home." He sighed as he sat up and started flipping through the channels on the tv. "She's probably waiting for me anyway." He turned off the tv and hopped to his feet. He paced back and forth, as if trying to decide what the hell to do.

"She gonna slap me…probably…no doubt about that." He yawned and fell back on the bed. "But do I really want to go back?" He didn't love Tifa as his wife, he never did. He married her on the rebound, he supposed, after Aerith's murder. Married life to Tifa wasn't too bad at first, they got along well, being childhood friends and all, and she was sexually attractive enough…but he lacked the full feeling in his heart that only Aerith could provide. And that alone, was what was truly eating away at their relationship. He was in love with _Aerith_. Tifa had been a good wife, loyal and attentive…the only problem with her was that she had bad luck in the baby department. Cloud had two problems with his marriage: one being that he wasn't in love with his wife; two being that he really wanted to be a father – other than that there were no problems. He'd hoped that solving one problem would provide a solution to the other. He'd hoped that if Tifa had a baby, then it would help deepen their bond and he'd learn to love her like he should. But so far the plan hadn't worked, and he had grown impatient and restless.

Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed his head. I knew he'd done her wrong. And that didn't help the number up on the screen. Her name was glowing brightly and he was starting to have second thoughts. But why? He knew she'd never get a divorce, so he was still her husband. And what husband doesn't have the nerve to call his own wife? So whatever, he dialed her.

Tifa's phone rang. It startled Yuffie as she picked it up off the table. She was shocked beyond belief to see Cloud's name flashing on the screen.

"Well, I guess our decision was made for us." Vincent said nonchalantly. They had been debating whether or not to call Cloud.

"Yeah." Yuffie said as she pushed the 'send' button. "Hello?"

"_Tifa?"_

"It's _Yuffie,_ you dumbass!"

"_Can I talk to Tifa?"_

"No." She felt like being mean to him.

"_Why not?" _

"Tifa's not here."

"_Yuffie, stop fooling around and hand the phone over to Tifa."_ Cloud didn't feel like playing games.

"I told you she isn't here!" Yuffie yelled.

"_Then why do you have her phone, where is she?" _

"Give me that!" Barret yanked the phone away from Yuffie. "Listen here, ya daffy bastard, Tifa's missin'; we think she been kidnapped!"

Cloud's breath hitched. _"Kidnapped?"_ His was drenched with worry. _"Who?"_

"We don' know, Vincent is thinkin' that a…" He wasn't sure if he should mention Sephiroth's name, but Cloud would find out sooner or later. "He thinks Sephiroth took her."

"S-sephiroth?" Cloud gulped. That was the one thing he was truly afraid of. "I'm on my way." Cloud snapped the phone shut. He'd already lost one woman to Sephiroth, he'd be damned if he was going to lose another! "Damn it! I should never have left her alone!"

* * *

><p>Tifa went to her vanity table and looked through the drawers for a pen and paper. She'd found a small box of stationary and a quill in one of the lower drawers. She had decided to reply to her secret admirer.<p>

She thought about it for a moment, unsure of exactly what to say. But finally she decided to just started writing and let the words flow on to the page.

_Dearest Angel,_

_I am deeply grateful for the gift of the house and all in it. Though, I was a little concerned upon my arrival, I have since thought about my situation and find it pleasing._ – She stopped and wondered what else to say – _I'm very impressed with all that you've given me so far. I don't yet require any material things, but I do have some questions that I would like answered. The first thing is that I'd like to know where I am exactly, the second is I'd like to know who you are, and lastly, I would like to know if I'll see you soon. I don't mean to be so blunt, but I feel that I deserve some kind of explanation. _

_-Tifa_

She folded it neatly and placed it in one of the provided envelopes and set it on the tray when she placed it in the hall to be cleared away.

Tifa left the bedroom and went down the hall to the library. It was yet another lavish room with a sunroom just off of it. After scanning the books, Tifa selected a novel from the shelf and went to the sunroom to enjoy it in the natural light. She relished in the joyful mixture of warm and cool and read her book with satisfaction. She had no worry in this place, somehow the beauty and peace of her surroundings had drowned out some of her negative energy. The Angel had said that this was a house he'd built just for her…a present. So why should she worry? At that point, she didn't care about anything.

"A reply." Jenova handed Sephiroth the letter and he took it eagerly.

"A lovely hand." He admired as he looked it over before reading it. He was delighted in her gratitude, but his confidence faltered when he read her requests. With some great deliberation, he wrote out another letter.

Before she'd gotten too far into her novel there was a rapping on the door and she answered it to find another silver tray loaded with delicious delicacies and another letter. This time, she was eager to open the note, excited to finally have the answers she craved.

_Beautiful Tifa, _

_I understand your need for an explanation. But my princess, you must understand that I never do anything without a reason. I cannot yet disclose any information to you; you may not understand. But please be patient my lady, and enjoy your gifts for now. And yes, you will see me soon. Until then, princess._

_-Your Angel _

It was a short reply, but it was to the point. And he said he'd show himself soon, hopefully then, everything would make sense. So she just sighed and returned to her book while enjoying her dinner.


	9. Ch VIII: Tears

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...but I do keep Sephy in my back pocket...lol pocket watch. REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter VIII: Tears**

Sephiroth tossed and turned. It was the first night with Tifa in the house. She was just a few steps away and it was keeping him from sleeping. He wanted to be in the same room with her, to hold her and kiss her. He craved the warmth and softness of her body, her breath on his face, her hair in his hands…he had questioned his desires when he first felt them for her so many years prior. He'd asked what it meant, and had to somehow remember what Hojo had taught him in the lab. The old man had given him a lesson in reproduction, and Sephiroth understood his feelings to be that of the desire to mate with a female. But he didn't understand this other feeling, why not just any female could do, it _had_ to be Tifa. He asked his mother, but she just laughed at him, not giving an answer. She told him repeatedly that humans were disgusting filthy creatures and he should wipe them off the face of the planet. But Sephiroth never could bring himself to do it. It was all because of Tifa….he couldn't do anything to hurt her, and he knew that if he destroyed her kind…she'd be in pain.

And now she was here, in the same building. He sat up and got to his feet. She was probably asleep already, but that alright; he still wished to see her. He skulked into her room lightly, his movement only a whisper in the air. He found her, lying in bed, still wearing that sexy nightgown he'd put her in. She lay on her back with one arm around to her side and the other up near her head. She looked comfortable, to say the least. With ghostly fingers, Sephiroth slid the covers from over her and gazed upon her form. His body trembled and his breath hitched. He traced one finger down her cleavage, relishing in the softness of her skin. Then he very gently slipped his hand under the silk and gripped her left breast, feeling for the first time the firm, supple flesh. Her small nipple was pressing firmly against his palm, and he took pleasure in it. He sighed heavily as he retracted his hand. But as he did, she stirred and opened her eyes. He wasn't sure what would happen now that she'd seen him. But it was dark in the room, the only light being what moonlight was able to flood in. Sephiroth knew she could only make out a shadow of a figure, not any details. She couldn't see that it was him. Tifa reacted just as he'd expected though, no words escaped her mouth, only a sharp gasp of alarm. He held up a defensive hand.

"Hush…" He whispered. "…shhh…"

She held her breath and tore the blankets back over her. "Who…who are you?"

"Who else my princess?" He purred.

"T-the Angel?"

"I promised you'd see me soon." He caressed her face.

Tifa relaxed at his touch, closing her eyes. "Your hands are so soft." She sighed.

Sephiroth said nothing, only scooted a little closer to her. He brushed back her hair and smiled at her through the darkness. "You're so beautiful, Tifa."

Tifa took his hand and held it near her heart. "You're so good at flattery."

"I really mean it." He inclined his head toward her. "I desire only you…"

"Tell me who you really are…" She whispered breathily.

"All in good time, my darling." He bent downward to kiss her forehead, but she rose to catch his lips with her own. Sephiroth was shocked by her, and she even surprised herself. But as she tried to pull back from him, Sephiroth wrapped his strong arms around her and cradled her against him. She slid her hand down his chest and trailed in downward until she touched his bare hip and thigh. He was naked! Tifa's senses spiked and she moved in closer. She couldn't believe what she was doing; she didn't even know this man. All she knew was that he smelled good, he felt good, he had a sexy voice, a rock hard body, and most importantly, his mind was solely focused on _her_.

Sephiroth laid her back down. He moved over on top of her and she opened her legs for him. Her skirt slid down enough to allow him to lie comfortably between her thighs. His hair spilled over his shoulder and she grabbed a handful of its silkiness. She moaned when his tongue slid into her mouth and she accepted it graciously. Her breath tasted so sweet. Sephiroth couldn't believe that she was finally with him this way. He'd only dreamed about it for years, now it was coming true. His heart raced faster than it ever did before. His manhood stood hard and erect, dripping with tears in anticipation of being sheathed within her.

Tifa gasped silently when his tongue forced out of her mouth and licked a slick trail down her throat and toward her breasts. Sephiroth slid the straps of her dress off her shoulders and bared her nipples. He took on small peak in his mouth and caressed the other with his fingers. Tifa crooned at the feeling and sighed with rapture as he brought his hand up to let her take a finger in her mouth. He knew not why he did it, but she seemed to enjoy it. Soon Sephiroth was aching almost painfully to be joined with her, and he drew up her skirt. But she grasped his hand. He stopped, gazing her to eyes through the darkness.

"Please…" She whispered. "Not yet…"

"Why?"

"I don't know you…" She gently eased him off of her. "I'm sorry, I got carried away. I didn't mean for it to go so far."

Sephiroth turned away from her and sat up on the side of the bed. "So you don't wish to mate with me?"

Tifa was taken aback by the blunt question. She'd never actually heard anyone refer to sex as 'mating' before; it made her want to laugh. But she stifled it as she was afraid she'd offend him.

"It's not that." She fought for the right words. "It's just that we only just met, I don't know who you are…and…well you see…I'm married."

"_Married_…" He repeated gruffly. "I see..." He stood and headed for the door.

"Angel, please wait!"

Sephiroth stopped. "We will speak more on this subject later. Goodnight, princess." He shut the door behind him.

"Goodnight." Tifa fell backward on the bed. She felt like she really blew it. At least he still called her 'princess', so maybe he wasn't too angry with her. But nonetheless, she felt his bitterness.

Sephiroth busted through the door of his bedroom in a rage. So even now after all he'd provided for her, she still clings to that damn disgusting puppet! Sephiroth paced heavily and angrily through the room, he was glad that he'd left when he did; otherwise he'd have done something he'd regret later. She tormented him in his very soul. He wouldn't be complete until he'd made her his own.

* * *

><p>Cloud hadn't realized how far away from Midgar he really got. He was ready to be there already and get his wife back. He knew it wouldn't happen instantly, but just getting into the city was getting one step closer to his goal. He didn't care if they got a divorce immediately afterward; at least she'd be safe and out of Sephiroth's hands. He pushed Fenrir to the extreme and sped as fast as the motorcycle could handle. The world flashed past him so quickly he couldn't make out anything and that was good. The wind lashed at him like a leather whip but he pressed on, the faster the better.<p>

Before he knew it, Midgar was in sight. It was still miles away, but the ShinRa tower was in view and he was all the more closer to getting home. He rushed into the city so quickly no one saw him as anything but a blur whizzing by. He took every turn sharply, banking his bike so far over he almost scraped the pavement. Fenrir screamed to a halt in front of 7th Heaven and Cloud bounded inside like hellhounds were after his soul.

"It's about time ya got here!" Barret yelled.

"I came as quickly as I could." Cloud retorted. He looked at everyone else in the room, and felt sheepish as they all gave him the 'evil eye'. He knew he was in deep shit and after they saved Tifa, he'd get the biggest ass-beating of his life.

Cid and Cait Sith already showed up along with Red XIII. Cloud was the last of the gang to arrive. He felt all the more ashamed. Cid just made a "tsk" sound and flicked his cigarette at him. "Yer one hell of a loser." Obviously he'd been filled in on Cloud's treachery. "I ain't never seen a piece of shit like _you_ before."

"Listen guys…"

"We don't wanna hear it, Cloud!" Yuffie cried from her corner. "Save your excuses for somebody that cares. We just need you to kill Sephiroth…again…and get Tifa back. After that you can go back to your pitiful little existence!"

Barret grabbed her arm and pulled her back down in her chair. "Yuffie, just quiet down for a bit."

"So where is she?" Cloud didn't know what else to ask.

"And you think we know?" Vincent asked, just as stoic as ever, but Yuffie smiled inwardly at the trace of sarcasm present there. "Where would a man like Sephiroth take a woman like Tifa?"

The party fell silent. Cloud could think of a million things that he could want with Tifa, and not a single one of them was pleasant.

"He probably took her to get to me." Cloud said, not really lending any help to the situation.

"And you continue to flatter yourself." Cid laughed. "But he asked 'where' not 'why'…dumbass."

"Can everyone shut up for a sec?" Barret grabbed Cloud and sat him down at the table. "You standin' like that was pissin' me off." He muttered before returning to his seat. "Now, we need to think about where he'd take her. Does anyone know if he's got a hideout or not?"

The group began to exchange ideas, each one dashed as another possibility arose. Their voices were all a blur around Cloud's head and finally they actually asked for his opinion and input.

"The only place I can think of would be the Northern Crater."

"Ahh…the dumb blonde actually has a plausible idea." Cid lit up another cig.

"To be honest…that's the most credible place." Vincent uttered darkly.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Tifa yawned sleepily as she ran her bath. She was already on her fourth day in her new home and she hadn't heard from her Angel since the first night. Maybe he really was mad at her. She continued to get her meals delivered to her door, but there was no letter, and no replies to any of the notes she'd write to him. She relaxed in the water and hoped to wash away the negativity. She felt so guilty…she should've just let him have his way, it would've been better. But she was still in love with Cloud for some stupid reason.<p>

Sephiroth paced around in his study, trying to decide what to do next. He was nervous to approach her again lest his anger betray him. She was delicate, and if he touched her just wrong he could…his heart beat his ribcage senseless…he could kill her. He knew she was anxious to hear from him, her short notes on her dinner trays said as much.

Jenova giggled darkly from her armchair. "Humans are weak, my son." She sighed. "Come, sit here." She stood and coaxed him to take a seat. Sephiroth only nodded and sat down. Jenova grinned and came around to face him. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and made him look her in the eye. "My child, you a divine being…you need not concern yourself with a lower life form." She whispered, drawing closer to him. "We supreme beings need nothing and no one but each other." She slid onto his lap, straddling his legs.

"What do you mean, Mother?" Sephiroth suddenly felt in a daze like he was about to fall asleep.

"The only woman you need in your life is me…I can take care of all you desire…" She closed the distance between their bodies…

"I have to go see her, Mother." Sephiroth was instantly awake again. He shoved her off and headed for the door.

Jenova yelled for him to return, but he ignored her and left. She screamed in anger and turned the chair over in her rage, tossing it across the room where it skittered until it hit the wall. "That disgusting human…has stolen what is _mine!_"

As Sephiroth strode down the hall toward Tifa's room, he busied himself with what to give her as an apology gift. He had some jewels in a box he planned to give her as a wedding present, so that wouldn't do at all. What could he give that she didn't have already? Then he thought of the garden. Roses, he could cut her some roses.

With a swift wrist, he trimmed the bushes of a dozen red and white roses, and carried them to his beloved. As he approached her bedroom door, he was painfully aware of how fast his heart was beating. He never felt nervous before, so do feel it now was beyond his scope of understanding. How could she elicit such feelings in him? It was almost agonizing. But with a deep breath, he tapped on her door.

Tifa's bath was finished by this time and she had just dressed when Sephiroth knocked. She froze perfectly still. Was it…her Angel? Excitement crept up in her stomach and it knotted. She held her breath and gleefully skipped toward the door, excited to see him in daylight. But as she pulled it open, she was met with a chest clad in black with two long silver locks tumbling over it. With shocked eyes, Tifa stared forward; she knew that chest…Her vision trailed upward and she was met face-to-face with Sephiroth. Her heart and stomach both plummeted and the breath she'd been holding erupted from her lungs in a horrendous sounding gasp. Her eyes were wider than ever and she took an uneasy step backward. Sephiroth took a step forward, reaching out to her. He knew not what to say to her; not that she'd listen anyway. As Tifa continued to back away from him, she quickly found herself against a wall. Somehow summoning some sense and courage, Tifa took on a fighting stance. She didn't know how she'd fight in her dress, but she'd figure it out.

Sephiroth just stood still, keeping his distance of her. He felt a little ashamed – another new emotion – and wished he'd used more tact in revealing himself to her. He was just so excited to see her and tell her he was sorry for ignoring her. She delicate in so many ways, her heart and feelings were as glass – easily broken and cracked. Sephiroth didn't dare come any nearer, trying to fight with her would only end with tragedy; Tifa would get either get hurt or dead. And he didn't want either.

"Tifa…" He began, looking at her ready to strike. She looked kind of silly and he couldn't help but smile with amusement. "Put your fists down; you'll ruin your pretty dress."

Tifa was completely taken aback. She wasn't sure what to do or even think. Since when did Sephiroth care about her clothes? He continued to smile as he reached behind him and shut the door. Taking a couple steps forward, he put up his hands. "I mean you no harm. Look, no sword." Not he needed a sword to hurt her.

She did seem to relax a little at this. She dropped her fists, but kept her guard up. He didn't seem to be armed with anything except a bouquet of…

"Roses?" She whispered, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes." Sephiroth held them out to her. "I picked them for you."

"Y-you…picked me roses?" It seemed strange to Tifa, bordering on hilarity actually, that Sephiroth the One-Winged Angel would take the time to pick flowers. She couldn't help but crack a tiny smile; it was really more of her trying to stifle a snicker.

"Yes." He repeated and slowly come up to her. He handed the flowers to her.

Tifa was a little nervous about accepting them. "Put them on the table." She ordered quietly.

Sephiroth obliged her. Tifa leaned forward and quickly grabbed them before returning to her safe distance. She knew that if he wanted to hurt her, he'd have done it already, but she couldn't help but try to stay away.

"Why?" She asked, eying the blooms.

"I wanted to give you a present." It was a simple answer and the honest truth.

"Yeah, but why?" She was utterly confused. "Why all this?" She motioned to the extravagant room and the fine food on the try she'd not gotten around to eating yet.

Sephiroth lowered his gaze to the floor and back up again. "I thought it would make you happy."

"Y-you...want…to…make me _happy?_" She was stunned beyond belief. "How...in the world do you think…I mean…you…" She struggled for the right words. "You…_killed my father!_ You burned down my home! Y-y-y…you…" She threw the flowers back at him. "…YOU! It's all your fault! My life is in shambles because of _you! _If it wasn't for _you,_ I wouldn't have had to live my life in the slums of Midgar! If it wasn't for _you!_" She attacked him then, tears streaming down her face as she threw a series of her hardest punches at him.

He wasn't fazed at all by her strikes. If it would make her feel any better, he'd let her hit him all day long. His chest was rock hard and taken more than this tiny woman could throw at him. Eventually she grew tired and just fell to the floor before him, reduced to a blubbering pile of trash it seemed, crying her eyes out for a past that could never be set right again. Sephiroth watched her as she hid her face in her hands. She looked so beautiful like that…so innocent and pure. His heart wrenched in his chest and his stomach did somersaults. He could feel her pain, and he cursed himself for everything he'd done to make her cry this way. It was all his fault she'd said, he'd caused her life to be the hellhole that it was. So…what else was there to do but dig her out of it? He refused to let her suffer any more than she had already. Sephiroth suddenly felt something strange on his own face. Moisture on his cheek. He wasn't sweating so what was it? He touched it and found it came from his eyes. Was he actually…crying? He hadn't cried since he was a boy. He'd forgotten the sensation. But as he thought on it, more dripped from his eyes and he knelt and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't try to fight him. He rested his cheek on her head and relished briefly in the softness of her hair. His fingers traced along her back in little circles. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. She unconsciously leaned into his embrace, seeking whatever comfort she could.

After many long minutes, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"You're crying." She gasped softly. "Why? What have you to cry about?"

"I destroyed everything that you held dear…" He sobbed. "I don't know what to do to make you happy again. I just…I want to see you smile…"

"But _why?_" She urged. "What makes _me_ so special?"

"You make me feel things that I've never experienced before…you make my cold, dead heart _beat._ When I think about you, I feel like there is a wildfire raging inside of my body. When you are near, I feel as if I will _die_ if I don't touch you. When you look at me, even _now_, I feel like I'm staring into face of a goddess."

Tifa had long since stopped crying. She just stared at him disbelief. She never would have thought that a monster like Sephiroth even had a heart. She looked down at her hands which were resting flat on his chest. He was broad and strong, and even though he was her sworn enemy, she somehow felt safe in his embrace. She didn't really know what to think about him now.

"I appreciate everything you've given me, Sephiroth." The way she said his name almost ended him. "But you can't give me what I really want."

"What _do_ you want?"

"I want love."

"_L-love?_" He'd never heard the term before. It was completely alien to him.

"Yes. I want pure unconditional love. And you can't give it to me."

"Why not?"

"Because you are…a _monster._"


	10. Ch IX: Complicated

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...all I own is a computer and a pocket watch...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong> The Angel's Queen <strong>

**Chapter IX: Complicated**

Sephiroth had left Tifa alone in her bedroom. She'd allowed him to cradle her while she continued to cry, eventually she fell asleep and he put her to bed. He'd lingered only long enough to make sure she was comfortable and sleeping soundly, before he went to his study.

He found his mother there, sitting in her usual spot. He looked at her warily, knowing she'd start with her ranting. And she did.

"I heard it all."

"Of course you did." He swept across to his desk where he sat quietly.

"I told you she'd never come to you, didn't I? She's nothing more than a parasite, my son, a filthy…human…."

"Mother please, just _shut up_."

Jenova was utterly stunned. Sephiroth had never spoken to her that way before. Never had he so blatantly told her to quiet herself. She stood from her chair and looked like she about to attack him, but he shot her the most murderous glare he'd ever given and she backed down. She was completely at a loss. So with a lack of what to do, she turned to leave. But of course, she had to have the last word. As she reached the door, she turned back to him.

"She is a human…you are an earthbound god."

Sephiroth turned his eyes up at her.

"You can try to hold onto her for eternity…but unlike you…one day she will grow old…and she will _die_." She let him be.

The realization struck Sephiroth hard. He'd never thought about it before, but his mother was right. One day Tifa would grow old and die. What then? Somehow, he knew he'd feel the same for her even when she is old and grey, but when she dies…he'd be all alone again. Sephiroth dropped his head and began to cry once more. Tifa was a human, but she was magical. She made him feel like a human again…and it was a breathtaking feeling.

After he dried his eyes, he began to think about her one request. To have true, unconditional love. The only thing was that he didn't know what love was. So what does one do when they don't understand a word? Look it up in a dictionary. It seems almost laughable that a god such as he should need aid from a human-made object, but it was a human word after all…and once he'd believed himself human too.

"Love."

_Love (verb) 1. To feel tender affection for somebody. 2. To feel romantic and sexual desire and longing for somebody. 3. To like something very much. 4. To show kindness to somebody. 5 To have sex with somebody. _

_Love (noun) 1. Passionate attraction and desire. 2. Very strong affection. 3. Romantic affair. 4. Somebody much loved. 5. Strong liking. 6. Something eliciting enthusiasm. 7. Beloved. 8. Term of friendly address. _

And the list went on…

Sephiroth closed the book. He'd never thought there were so many different types of love. He definitely knew he felt the sexual kind…loving her that way would be easy. But she said unconditional, so she wanted love with no limitations or conditions. Sexual love wouldn't be that; it could be deemed as a selfish act. _To feel tender affection_. That must be the one. She wanted him to feel affection regardless of her qualities or actions. No matter how she is, he must love her. It was so aggravating. And…she'd called him a monster. He looked up that word too just for the hell of it.

_Monster (noun) 1. An ugly terrifying being found in mythology or created by the imagination, especially something fierce that kills people. 2. Something extraordinarily large. 3. Offensive term for a person or animal that is undesirably formed. 4. An evil person; somebody whose perceived humanity or vicious behavior terrifies and disgusts people. _

It was true, in all respect of the term he was a monster. He thought about his horrific upbringing, his vile nature….his _wing._ He clenched his fist and gnashed his teeth as he stared at the word. He hated himself. That's all there was to it. Perhaps if he'd ever had pure love he'd not have been the monster she perceived him to be. But love was something he'd never known; not even his own mother showed any real affection toward him. Only when he'd do what she wanted of him did he receive any kind of care.

No. He was wrong. As he stretched his memory out to his childhood, he remembered one person who did show him kindness. A woman named Lucrecia. She was one of Hojo's associates. She would always be there for him. He remembered when he'd been sleeping in his room; he'd had a nightmare and began to cry. He had not wailed loudly, but she came to the room, somehow knowing he was in need. She'd held him all through the night. Lucrecia gave him gifts and toys without care if he returned the favor. She taught him his manners and proper etiquette for different occasions purely out of the goodness of her heart; even though Hojo insisted he didn't need to know any of it. His pain was her pain, his joy was her joy, it seemed. But then she disappeared. One day she just didn't come back to the lab and he never saw her again.

Sephiroth reclined back in his seat. He stared blankly into nothing, just thinking about his dear sweet Lucrecia. She, he believed, was why he felt such an attachment to the opposite sex. Women were far gentler than men could ever be, and to be around a woman made him feel at peace. Even though he was a man, he felt a certain amount of animosity toward them. A malice fueled by the fact that all the ill-treatment he'd received as a child had been administered by men, and all the comfort provided by women. It was one more thing he hadn't thought of until then, another thing Tifa had awakened in him.

She was perfect.

* * *

><p>Cloud sat quiet staring at the floor aboard the Highwind. Barret sat across the table from him, staring him down. Cloud could feel the murderous gaze and had no desire to look at him. A few minutes passed between them that felt like an eternity. They were sitting in the tiny dining area in the rear of ship waiting out the ride. The tension was suffocating, especially since it was just the two of them and Marlene, who was sitting a couple tables away, drawing idly on a scrap of paper.<p>

"Why'd ya do it?" Barret asked gruffy, but quietly.

"Do what?" Cloud asked, forcing his eyes up to Barret's face.

"Why'd ya leave her, ya fool?" He barked.

"I uh…" Cloud was speechless. He didn't know how to answer. But under Barret's glare, he spoke up anyway. "I thought it was time to start thinking of myself."

"Whadda ya mean? You always thinkin' of yourself."

"No…I wasn't…not entirely. I married Tifa for two reasons, because I didn't to be alone…and so Tifa would be happy. I knew she wanted to me with me…but after a while, I felt like I was wronging both of us."

"There you go…you are the worst, Cloud." Yuffie muttered from the stairway. They both looked up at her, startled. "Besides, that's not why should marry anyone. You might think you were doing her a service by granting her wish, but you just did her wrong anyway by leading her on. So what? Did you think that it wouldn't all come back to bite you in the ass?"

Cloud returned his gaze to the floor. "I didn't know what I was really thinking."

"Forget it, Barret, he'd just going to make up more excuses. Anway, come on upstairs, Cid is driving me crazy."

Barret just nodded and followed her up the main deck.

Cloud remained, he rested his elbow on the table and held his forehead. He wished he could just turn back time and not even have gotten involved with Avalanche in the first place. He wished he'd have just taken his money and left. Or better yet…if Zack had just left him to die. While he was busy fretting, Marlene had moved to his table with her drawing paper.

"Cloud?"

He snapped his head up at the child's voice and looked straight into her eyes. She looked sad, her eyes heavy with the negative feelings around her.

"What's up, Marlene?"

"Why is everyone picking on you?"

"Well…" He fought for the best way to explain it to her. "I did something kinda…mean to Tifa."

"Like what?"

"Well…it's kind of hard to explain. The thing is…me and Tifa aren't going to be together anymore…"

"You're breaking up?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"We…just…" He scratched the back of his head. "We just don't love each other anymore. It's just something that sometimes happens with grown-ups. Sometimes we get tired of being around each other and it's just better if we didn't live together anymore."

"Then why get married if you're just going to break up?"

"It's complicated." He rested his head on the table.

"Are you worried about, Tifa?"

"Yeah, I am."

"You know what, Cloud?" She started doodling again. "I think I know why Sephiroth took Tifa away."

"What really?" He lifted his head.

"I heard her while she was staying at our house, she said she wished someone would come and take her away….and I think he answered her wish. And you know what else? I think she doesn't want to be rescued."

"_What?_" Cloud felt sick. "Why would you say that?"

"Why else would Sephiroth steal Tifa?" She eyed him with a serious gaze.

Cloud gawked back at her in utter disbelief. He couldn't fathom how she'd come up with such a ridiculous theory. Furthermore, how could a child even begin to attempt to comprehend the inner workings of the adult mind? But then, Marlene always was rather wise and mature for her age.

* * *

><p>Tifa slept until late in the day, she woke up with a slight headache and a feeling of dread in her gut. She looked around the room with hazy eyes, wondering if he was still there. So Sephiroth was the Angel, and he brought her there to make her happy. What a laugh! She wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. She moaned as she rolled over onto her stomach and cuddled her pillows. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he did want to make her happy. She didn't really want to believe it though.<p>

She found herself wondering why Sephiroth would suddenly have a change of heart. She yawned and buried her face in the soft material. She remembered when Cloud told her about the way Sephiroth was before he went mad. That he used to be a good, righteous, and honorable man. Perhaps his psychosis had been cured? She'd looked out of all the windows at the surrounding land. Mountains. And the chill in the air concluded that they were high in them. Even if she left the house, she'd have to walk across the range. This wasn't the place for legs; you'd have to be able to fly to get up there. So escape would be futile.

"Maybe I should give him a chance." She groaned into her pillow. "It's not like he's exactly tortured me or anything." She could hardly believe herself, but she didn't have many options. So why not try to be friends at least. "But…he's a monster…he killed my dad." She lamented. But then, hating him forever wouldn't bring her father back to life.


	11. Ch X: His Actions

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Sorry it's taken so long to post the next chapter. I've had a case of writer's block for a couple of days, and then for some reason I was having trouble posting it on the site. But anyways, here it is. I apologize ahead of time if it's not that good. **

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen <strong>

**Chapter X: His Actions**

They'd been traveling forever it seemed, and the Northern Crater got no closer. Cloud tossed in his sleep, more worried about what he'd say to Tifa than fighting Sephiroth. He'd planned to apologize, but Tifa would probably just wallop him into a bloody pulp. It was just as he deserved and he knew it. What also plagued his dreams was what Marlene had mentioned that day, about Tifa wanting to be taken away. He mustn't let the wild notions of a child interfere with his sleep, but it struck a deep dark cord inside of him. And the thoughts of what Sephiroth might be doing to Tifa aggravated his dreams. Cloud's brain didn't whirl with ideas of torture, but the thought of Sephiroth having his way with Tifa. Cloud flipped over as he slept. It was maddening! And what was worse…the very idea that Tifa might actually be enjoying it…

Cloud woke up.

The room was dark and he didn't know what time it was. He brushed his hair from his face and looked around from side to side. He didn't know why he'd have just wild dreams; he assumed though that it was from all the talk that had gone on in the past few hours. Getting up, Cloud went to the bathroom and stood above the sink, staring in the mirror. He looked like a nervous wreck really.

"What the hell…" He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Where did all that come from?" He looked back into the mirror. "You didn't just make a mess this time, Cloud…you _fucked_ up…"

_Maybe I'm just letting their taunting get to me_, he thought as he returned to his bed, _and where did this idea about Sephiroth screwing Tifa come from? Damn it…maybe I'm just going crazy. _

A few hours later Cloud finally emerged from his room aboard the Highwind and joined the rest of the team on the bridge. No one paid any attention to him this morning, he supposed they'd about run out of new jeers and boos to throw at him. Instead they just kept to themselves and went about their business.

"Morning guys." He said just loud enough to her heard. No one replied. "So…are we getting closer?" Still no answers.

After hanging out for only few minutes, Cloud started to feel uneasy with the new silent treatment he'd been delivered.

"Well, I'm going back to my room." Cloud announced to nobody in particular. He left swiftly.

"Do ya think he got the message that he's not wanted up here?" Cid asked a moment after Cloud was gone.

Everyone turned to look at him, each one with sly little grins on their face…except Vincent of course.

"Aye, captain. I think he did." Cait Sith confirmed.

* * *

><p>Tifa paced around her room that morning. She was at odds with herself entirely. It was ridiculous; how could she possibly be thinking what she was thinking? It was clear Sephiroth wanted her as his mistress at the very least, and she was actually considering accepting the offer. <em>Absurd!<em> She could never be his mistress…especially since she was still married. It didn't matter if her husband left, she was still bound by the vows she made. _He_ may not have meant them but she did…didn't she? She thought of how good Sephiroth felt the other night…_No!_ It was eating away at her every minute. She didn't know what she'd do.

"To be…or not to be…that is the question…" She quoted the famous line of the Shakespearian tragedy. Back and forth, back and forth, she paced endlessly through the room as her thoughts did battle. Her heart was a flipping coin at this point, should she accept Sephiroth, or resist him? "Papa would toss in his grave." And what about her friends? "Oh my god." She'd almost forgotten, they were probably worried sick about her.

After about an hour of running frantically about the house, Tifa confirmed that there was not a single telephone in the entire estate. She began to really panic, the last thing she wanted was to be shown on television as a missing person…there were no tv's there either…nor any radios…What the hell? What century did this madman think this was?

"Sephiroth?" She uttered softly. "Sephiroth!" She called out, though tried not to sound alarmed. After only a second, he appeared from the hall leading to his chambers.

"Princess?" He answered, his soft voice just above an inquiring whisper. "Are you alright?"

She turned to face him, her heart jumped and she tried to calm herself in his presence. "I'm fine…I just want to know if there's a phone here."

"A phone?" He never thought about putting in any lines of communication; the only one he spoke to was his mother and she seldom was apart from him.

"Yeah."

"Do you need to make a call?"

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes at him. "I want to call my friend."

"They can't come for you up here." He said flatly.

"I'm not asking to be rescued; I just want to let them know I'm alright and to not worry about me!" Tifa shouted.

He stood there, staring at her. Sephiroth wasn't sure what to make of her request. He was certain she'd ask for help, and for that reason he was reluctant to grant her wish. But if it would make her happy, then he'd oblige her.

"You may use my study to compose a proper letter." He put his hand out to her, coaxing her to come.

Tifa didn't want to touch him, so she declined his offer of assistance up the staircase. Instead she followed him up to his chambers. His suite was similar to her own, with the main quarter as his bedroom with a bathroom off to the side of it. His study was off from the opposite side of the bedroom, and he offered her admittance first. It was a spacious library with books everywhere, many of which looked centuries old.

Sephiroth pulled out the chair from his desk and bid her to sit. He then produced proper stationary and pens for her to compose her letter.

She didn't take long in writing. It just a quick note to Barret telling him not to worry about her and that she was safe. She assured him that she'd write again soon to update him on her situation. She did not mention Sephiroth or beg for a rescue, instead she just insisted that she wanted to spend some time alone so she headed up to the mountains for another long break, however she forgot her phone and the house she stayed in hadn't one. That was all. She allowed Sephiroth to read it, and he seemed pleased with her discretion.

"I will take this to the nearest village and send it in the post." He promised as he pulled on his coat.

"Thank you." Tifa didn't figure it caused any harm to be grateful for this kindness.

"Gladly." He turned to open the window. As he knelt on the sill of the casement, he turned back to her, "Tifa, when I came back, will you have dinner with me?"

Tifa eyed him warily for a moment, but agreed with a nod of the head.

"I will return shortly." His wing burst from his back and he took off toward the nearest post office.

Tifa watched as he disappeared through the mist. She was alone in the house it seemed. Tifa didn't know how long he'd be gone, so she decided to hangout in his office and look at what books he had. She didn't have much more entertainment than this. His collection was far drabber than her own. He'd stocked her private library full of thrilling novels while his own was compiled of text and reference books, necessary for nothing more than extended learning. Completely boring material. She shook her head and went downstairs.

She wandered around the estate aimlessly, not really having any idea what to do. She was really kind of bored. Tifa had never been a tremendous fan of television, but she really wanted to watch some. At length, she took to her library where she picked her book back up.

Somewhere around the 18th chapter, Sephiroth opened the door.

"Tifa." He stood in the doorway.

She approached him calmly. "Did you post my letter?"

"Yes." He took a half step back. "Will please join me?"

"How long have you been back?"

"For a while."

They walked side-by-side down to the dining room.

"So what's for dinner?"

"Something, I think you'd like." He opened the door for her and allowed her to enter first. He then went to the table and pulled out the chair so she could sit.

"Thanks."

Sephiroth went to the kitchen. Tifa adjusted her chair and got comfortable while she waited for him to return. This was the first time she'd eaten in the dining room; she was kind of excited to eat in there, though she was sure what to expect from Sephiroth as dinner company. Sephiroth returned shortly pushing a trolley. He parked it near the table and placed a loaded plate before Tifa.

It was a gourmet steak with some sort of sweet marinade. It kind of tasted like orange juice with garlic in it, but against the beef it was exquisite. After taking her first bite, she'd almost dove into it. To drink he'd poured a very lovely red wine and offered her a basket of rolls.

They ate together quietly for several minutes before Tifa thought of something.

"Did you make this meal, Sephiroth?"

"Yes." He replied simply. He didn't look at her, only stared down at this plate.

"It's absolutely delicious." She sighed with a smile.

"Thank you. I've made all of your meals in fact." He confirmed quietly. "And I've delivered them personally to you."

Tifa felt a little warm. "I had no idea."

"Well, now you know." He finally looked up at her. "I don't trust anyone, Tifa…that's why I have no hired help. Everything that goes on here is my doing alone."

Tifa was astonished. "So you do everything, the cooking the cleaning…"

"I do it all for you." Sephiroth looked straight into her eyes. "I want you to be comfortable; I do not wish to burden you with such things. It's just as I wrote in my first letter to you, I wish you to be as a princess, Tifa."

"Why?" She inquired once more.

"You said I was a monster…did you not?" Sephiroth looked back down at his plate.

Tifa lowered her eyes in shame. "I did."

"And you said I couldn't give you true love because I am."

"Yes…"

"Then what is it that I feel for you if it's not love?"

Tifa's eyes shot up to his. She stared into the deep green depths as she sought out the meaning in his words.

"If I am a monster incapable of love…then why do I feel as I do? I have done research on the nature of love, and I find that it matches in many ways what I feel for you."

"Like how? What is it that you feel?"

"I used to watch you through your window at 7th Heaven." He admitted. Tifa tensed up at this and thought back to the strange feeling that she had the last time she was with Cloud. "I would experience the strangest emotions. When I saw you cry I wanted to hold you in my arms and wipe your tears away…when you laughed my heart fluttered with joy…things like that…But then there were the times when you would be in your bedroom with Cloud, and you would do things together that I only wished I could do too. I wanted to be him when he touched you. When I would watch you, my body would tremble and my heart would plummet to my stomach. My blood would boil with such rage, and I wanted to kill him." He balled up his fists. "Tifa…I want you…and I want you to want me too. That's all. Not one day has gone by since I first saw you that I haven't thought about you. I can think of nothing else. I just _want you_."

"You speak as if I'm a possession to be owned." Tifa put her napkin on the table and stood up. "I don't want to hear anymore of this, goodnight." She turned to leave.

Sephiroth quickly stood and rushed after her. "Tifa! Don't go."

"Don't go?" She murmured. "Where will I go to? I'm a prisoner here, thanks to _you_." She waved her hand at the house as they reached the top of the staircase. "It's not like I can just run away. And anyway, why are you sitting there moaning that you want me? You _have_ me, like I said, I'm a prisoner. If it's my body you want then take that too, it's not like I can exactly fight you off." She put her arms out. "Here, take me."

Sephiroth just stared at her.

"What's wrong? You obviously want to fuck me, so do it."

"No." His voice was flat.

She dropped her arms. "Why not? You were just now spouting how much you want me…how jealous you get when you see my _husband_ and I make love."

"Make love?" He almost laughed. "I care for you more that puppet ever could…he was just pretending with you, Tifa…don't delude yourself." His voice had turned from flat to menacing. He was the old Sephiroth again.

"I'm not the one that's delusional. You are."

"How do you mean?"

"You're saying that I'm delusional by making myself believe that my husband might actually care about me…while _you're _the one that thinks you're a god. You talked down to all of us, saying that we're nothing more than worthless humans, when you're a human _yourself!_"

Sephiroth's eyes flared with hellfire and he leapt at her, tackling her to the floor in a fury. She screamed in fright and clawed and beat him to get off of her, but Sephiroth just held her down under the weight of his body and tore at her clothes, until she was completely naked. He then yanked her violently from the floor and hauled her into her bedroom where he threw her on her bed. He was on her in seconds, ready to impose himself and make her understand his dominance over her. Tifa did all she could to get him off of her, but he was far larger and far stronger. She screamed for help, but of course, her screams were in vain; nobody could hear her.

Sephiroth was in a frenzy; his anger fueled by her scorn of him and her audacity to call him a human. He violated her in the worst way. At that point, it wasn't about her beauty, love, or even sex. It was about him showing his superiority over her and making her bend to his will. She was like a horse; she would submit to him, but first she needed to be broken. She would be saddled soon enough.

Tifa lie beneath him, tears streaming down her face in an endless flood. She screamed each time he thrust against her, the physical and emotional pain of it was unreal. He bent her legs back past their limits and her body quaked furiously. She had run out of energy trying to fight him, and it only hurt worse when she did, so without much choice she just lay there and took it. He'd have to stop eventually. She just kept telling herself that.

Finally after an eternity, Sephiroth finished with her. When he'd at last reached his limit, he pulled out and ejaculated on her stomach. He got up and observed his handiwork, not sure whether or not to be pleased or disgusted with himself. Tifa on the other hand just continued to lie there. She felt so filthy and worthless. She felt so defiled. If she'd been a virgin, she'd probably kill herself. But she wasn't, and she wouldn't. She lie there staring up at the ceiling; she didn't dare look at him for she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I hope I've made myself clear." Sephiroth stormed from the room. He charged angrily to his own room where he immediately began to pace around. He didn't know what to do or how to feel. His heart and mind were both racing frantically. He didn't know what to think or what he should do next. He'd just destroyed everything. Everything he hoped for between them was over now. His pacing was more like running back and forth, his breath came out in short jagged puffs, if he were a normal man he'd have passed out from hyperventilation by now.

"Calm yourself my son." Jenova came from his study. She leaned seductively against the doorframe and smiled at him. He turned and looked at her, having briefly forgotten that she was even there. She approached him with her arms wide open. "Come here, my darling."

For lack of anything better to do, Sephiroth complied and sought out the comfort of her arms. He entered her embrace and buried his face in her neck. She was his mother after all and mothers always made the pain easier to tolerate.

"She spurned me, Mother…I was so angry…" He sounded like a young boy.

"Worry not, my child." She petted his hair. "Hush…this is a happy moment." She whispered in his ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why?" He moaned in agony.

"Because, you've done nothing wrong. She was the one who was wrong, and you asserted yourself and delivered a punishment to her. Discipline her when she attempts to belittle you, and reward her when she submits to you. Humans are just as low as dogs, Sephiroth…train her to obey you."

* * *

><p><strong>I wtf'd after I wrote this chapter...part of what took so long. I apologize if anyone finds it offensive. <strong>


	12. Ch XI: Her Proposition

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. So here's what happens...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XI: Her Proposition**

Sephiroth watched her for several seconds; his gaze was one of longing. His rage at her had already subsided, but his rage at himself was beginning to rise. This was not how he wanted it to be. He wanted their first time together to be mutual; he wanted her to come to him freely. But now he'd spoiled all chances of her ever doing so. She'd never come to him now. She'd never trust him, never desire his company, or return his devotion. Maybe he was incapable of love after all…no man could do this to the woman he loved. So it was…Sephiroth really was a heartless monster. But, could a monster feel regret? Did a monster's conscience weigh heavy with guilt? With a pang of pain stabbing him in the chest, Sephiroth went into her bathroom and turned on the faucet for a bath. As the heated water rushed into the tub, Sephiroth turned toward the mirror and stared with disgust at his own reflection. For the first time in his life, Sephiroth felt the purest sense of remorse. He'd committed the mother of heinous acts against a female and felt that he wanted to die. After the tub became full, he turned off the faucet and went back to Tifa. She was still laying there in the same position he'd left her in, rogue tears trailing down her cheeks. She was unmoving except for an occasional blink of the eye. He moved in closer, slowly. Gently he bent and lifted her into his arms. Tifa made no noise, she resigned herself to her fate whatever it may be. Her immediate fate however was a bath. Sephiroth lowered her into the steamy water and let her rest comfortably against the porcelain.

He said nothing to her as he began to clean his cum from her body. She just turned away from him. She refused to look at his face. She could feel the bruises all over her skin and winced in pain as he scrubbed over them with the wash cloth. Sephiroth saw the fingerprints he'd left on her arms and legs, the redness from his brutality around her womanhood. He felt the remorse heighten. He tried not to let it affect him, but to see what he'd done to her destroyed him from the inside out. He continued to wash her, hoping that it would soothe her.

"You think you can wash away what you've done?" Tifa uttered. Her voice was quiet, like that of a mouse. It came as a shock to Sephiroth after her long silence. But he contained himself and cleared his dry throat.

"No." He replied, equally as quiet. "I only wish to bring you some kind of comfort."

"Comfort." She closed her stinging eyes and smiled, though it was an act of defiance in her mind. "So…you do want to wash it away."

"Tifa…"

"Don't, Sephiroth…your voice alone is perdition to me. Leave me alone…"

"Tifa please…" He reached out to her and stroked her hair; he closed his eyes, relishing its softness. But she just shied away. "Tifa…I want you to be my bride…I…I-I love you."

Tifa's stopped breathing. And for a brief moment, she thought her heart had stopped too. With eyes wide open, she turned and cast a deadly gaze upon Sephiroth. Her crimson depths blazed like an inferno. She remained still but she spoke. Her voice as quiet, though dripped with venom.

"If you love me…you'd never have done what you did…I _hate_ you…Sephiroth. I will hate you until I die…When my husband comes to rescue me – and he will – I want to be the one to kill you."

"I will prove it to you."

"Hmph…" She turned away from him again. "You can try."

"You don't believe me."

"Go away…"

"You will."

"_Get out! Get out!_" She swatted at him. "Get away from me! I never want to see you again!"

Sephiroth backed away from her. "Goodnight, my princess."

She grabbed a perfume bottle and threw it at him, it shattered on the doorframe beside him and he turned swiftly to leave. She was completely alone. After a few minutes, she stood on shaky legs and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel to wrap around her.

Going out to her main chamber, she looked at her bed. It seemed filthy now and she didn't want to sleep there. But then, she wasn't sure if she could sleep at all. She dropped her towel and strode up to the bed. She gulped heavily and in a fury, ripped the coverlet from the bed, followed immediately by the sheets and pillow cases. Soon the mattress was bare and one by one, she threw the dressings into the fireplace and burned them. She didn't care if she didn't have anything to sleep on, as long as the evidence of Sephiroth's wickedness was disposed of.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth sat on the edge of his own bed, his head in his hands. He stared at the floor blankly, not really seeing it. He was a war with himself. His heart and soul were torn in two, one side screaming in pain over what he'd done to Tifa, crying out to set things right and prove his love for her; whilst the other side was laughing maniacally, malevolently, taking pride in having dominated and subdued a human female. It was as if he were two different people living in the same body. But that was absurd. Sephiroth was just feeling too many human emotions. Once he'd believed he was a man like any other mortal man. But after his discovery in the Shinra Manor at Nibelheim, he'd found that he was superior to mankind. And therefore, he'd seen fit to separate himself from his human feelings. But this woman brought them back. Once he'd seen her, the old thoughts and feelings trickled back into existence, and now that she was here and in this place, they were rushing back into his body. His brain would hemorrhage if he continued on like this!<p>

Jenova watched from the shadows. She leaned against the wall whilst staring at the beautiful man before her. To her, Sephiroth was perfect, the most perfect man in the entire cosmos. She yearned to touch him, to feel his flesh. For centuries she'd waited for such a perfect being to emerge in her life and once Sephiroth came along, she knew he was the one. She'd called him her heir to the planet, and now she wanted more from him. Her body warmed when she thought about his behavior that evening, and wished that he'd done it to her instead of Tifa. So without further ado, Jenova approached him from behind and crawled onto the bed, sliding her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. She pulled him backward until his head rolled back on her breast and she kissed his hair.

"Sephiroth…" She whispered into his ear. "If nothing else, _I _care…" She coaxed him to turn around and she lay back against his pillows, displaying her form for him

"Mother?" He inquired, but she silenced him with a touch of her fingers to his lips

"Hush…come lie beside me."

Sephiroth turned away from her for a moment but came around to the other side of the bed and laid down beside her just as she'd asked.

"Come closer." She purred.

Sephiroth only looked at her. She moaned indignantly before closing the space between them and wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"Mother, what are you doing?" He was a little put off by this physical attention and shrugged her away. "I want to be alone tonight."

"You don't need to be alone…you need a woman beside you…" She spoke against his ear, kissing the tender skin.

"Mother, please." He slid away from her and went to the door, opening it for her to leave.

"You need to respect me, my son…after all I've done for you…you would cast me away?" She grit her teeth and headed for the door.

"It's not like that…I just would like to be alone right now." He shut the door and locked it. Falling back upon his bed, Sephiroth stared into oblivion until he fell asleep.

Jenova was outraged; she thought that everything was going perfectly until that other woman showed up. Tifa had to go and steal him away. Well…when the time was right, she'd get even.

* * *

><p>Tifa woke up the next morning feeling terrible. She'd slept on a plain mattress with only a throw blanket to cover her. She groaned when she tried get up. Her entire body ached and her hips especially were stiff. She was able to force herself up but not before she about screamed from the discomfort. Her head was pounding and she found that she had dark circles under her eyes when she looked in the mirror. She noticed the bruises and could the feel the soreness of Sephiroth's attack. She looked at her nude figure with disdain. Why? She asked. Why did this have to happen to her? All her life she had nothing but bad luck. Cloud never wrote her back after he left to join Soldier, their hometown was burned to the ground and her father was murdered by Sephiroth, she was thrown down a staircase by him, she had to live out her teenage life in the slums of Midgar, she lost desperately wanted children, her one true love abandoned her, she was kidnapped by her arch enemy, and now…she was yet again a victim of his twisted, psychotic nature. She could add more to the list if she saw fit, but that was the most of it. She stared at her reflection, wondering if there was a light at the end of the darkness she saw. Was she being punished for something from a previous life? Would she finally find peace once she was dead? Questions flooded her mind and she bit back the urge to cry. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying so much the night before; she knew it would be almost unbearably painful to cry any more.<p>

She went to -her closet and pulled out some clothes. A simple black dress with three –quarter length sleeves was her choice of the day. Somber black, it fit her mood. Tifa returned to the mirror and applied some make-up, and practiced smiling. She refused to show Sephiroth – if she happened to come in contact with him that day – that he had not broken her spirit. She was a strong, resilient woman and she flat refused to allow him the pleasure of seeing her admit defeat. She raised her chin and opened her door. There was a tray of food there and with a sly grin and flick of her ankle, she sent it skittering across the glossy floor. Food and tea went everywhere and she just skipped over it and continued on her way to the library to finish off her book.

Once she'd reached the last word written, Tifa closed the book and went in search of another. Anything to keep her mind from wandering back to the night before. _It never happened_, she asserted. But who was she fooling, now _she_ was the one trying to wash it away. Tifa picked out another novel and fully intended to get lost in the story and not think about anything.

Once she'd grown tired of reading, Tifa put on her coat and went out into the rose garden. She enjoyed the sunlight and the cool air rushing off the mountains and she smiled brightly. Her soreness had subsided slightly and she was able to stroll comfortably about the grounds.

Sephiroth looked out his window after having dressed that morning and watched her wander among her flowers. He felt his heart jump in his chest when he noticed the smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Is my princess happy again?" He was skeptical, but she seemed at peace. So without a second thought, he jumped from the window and landed gracefully near her.

Tifa looked over him, startled. She then turned away and ignored him. She walked calmly away, but felt agitated and alarmed when he pursued her. He followed her all around the garden, almost like a shadow to her. After a while, she figured that if he was going to try something he'd have done it already, but she was soon getting pretty annoyed at him. He wouldn't stop stalking her and finally she turned to confront him.

"What the hell do you want?" She demanded.

Sephiroth stood silent for a moment, but then he spoke. "I want to spend time with you."

"_What?_"She groaned.

"I saw you from my window. I saw that you were smiling and hoped that you felt better."

Tifa smiled again, but in frustration, trying to mask her real feelings. "You really know nothing about humans do you?"

"Pardon?"

"A bath and a night of sleep don't make what you did hurt any less." She sat down on a stone bench and brushed her hair behind her ear. She stared downward at the grass and gulped. "We're fragile…we break easily…and we don't fall in love with people that abuse us." Tifa had hoped she wouldn't break down in his presence. But a rogue tear slid down her cheek.

Sephiroth bent to brush it away, but when his hand neared her face she hastily slapped it away. "Don't _touch_ me!" She recoiled from him, an immediate flashback played mercilessly behind her eyes. She began to tremble, and more tears betrayed her.

Sephiroth was alarmed by her behavior, he didn't know what to do or think. But eventually, Tifa's shuddering became worse and her breathing became intense. Finally, she blacked out.

Some time later, she knew not how much later, she found herself in bed. Tifa yawned and rolled over, but as she did, her eyes flashed open and she remembered having burned her sheets. But this bed seemed larger than her own, and the room smelled manly. She looked around and realized that she was in Sephiroth's room. Frantically, she tossed the sheets from over her and searched herself. To her great relief she found herself still fully dressed – minus her shoes of course – and her body intact. She drew in a painful breath and relaxed against the pillows.

"You had a panic attack." Sephiroth's voice echoed from the chair in the corner. "I was going to take you to your room, but I saw what you did your bed, so I let you have mine. I put some fresh dressings on yours by the way…please don't destroy them this time."

"What need does a god have for sleep?" She mocked as she turned her back on him.

"We do become tired."

"It's because you're a human." She muttered, but then began to panic on the inside as she realized what she just said. That's what set him off before.

Sephiroth's fists balled up and he raised his hand to deliver a punishing blow to her, but as she looked up at him, he saw the trepidation in her eyes and lowered his hand. His nostrils flared and he clenched his teeth in a moment of rage. But then he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose and released it through his mouth.

"I suppose you have a point." Sephiroth uttered breathily. He gazed down at her longingly. "You know…you really are so beautiful when you're frightened." He leaned downward, meaning to brush her hair from her forehead but she shied away from him. "I won't hurt you…"

"H-how can I trust you?" She pulled the covers up under her chin.

"Because I love you."

"No you don't."

"I swear…princess…I will prove my love."

"Why do you call me that?"

"Before I betrayed your trust…I was hoping that you would consider becoming my queen."

"Y-you mean…to _marry_ you?"

"Yes."

"How can I? I'm married to Cloud."

"You can divorce…yes?" He shook his head. "How can you cling to him so?"

"I love him…he's all I've ever wanted."

"Really? Honestly Tifa…after the grief he's caused you?"

"He's never done anything to hurt me."

"Hasn't he? You forget I've been watching you…"

"He never did what you did."

"But his maltreatment towards you is just as evil. He _used _you…"

"And you _raped_ me. I don't understand how you can compare it."

"So you'd rather have a false love with years of sadness that will weigh heavily upon you for the rest of your life…than to be with someone who truly cares for you in all ways, who made one mistake in the heat of anger?"

Tifa rolled over with her back to him once again. "At least he never physically abused me."

"Tifa…" Sephiroth fell to his knees.

She heard the thump of him hitting the floor and turned back to him.

"Tifa…I'm so sorry…" He begged. She sat up in astonishment. "Please….please…forgive me…"

Was he crying? Again? She pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. But she wasn't. He really was begging on his knees for forgiveness.

"My beautiful…beautiful princess…please forgive me…_please!_" He clutched at the coverlet and used it to support his heavy body. "I swear my life…Tifa…I will prove my love to you…_I love you…I do!_"

Tifa gulped and with a shaking hand reached over and touched his hand. Sephiroth lifted his head and his reddening eyes toward her.

"Alright…if you still maintain that you love me…then let's make a deal."

"What?"

"If you can prove your undying devotion to me and only me….then I will put the past aside and become your queen."

"You'll forgive me?"

"Yes…but only if you can truly prove it."

"I will."

"Alright, so now, I'm going to my bed…" She got up and gathered her shoes from the floor.

"Why?" He stood and followed after her.

"Because, Sephiroth, you're polluting my breathing air." She slammed the door in his face.

As she walked down the hall and as she made it to her bedroom, she began to giggle. She really tickled herself with her proposition. After her laughing faded away she collapsed on her bed and the corner of her mouth turned up in a little grin.

"Sephiroth will never be able to prove his love. So therefore…I'll never have to marry him." She was so pleased with herself.


	13. Ch XII: Construe

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...blah blah blah...Ok so here's the next chapter guys! It's a little lighter than the previous chapters. REVIEWS! **

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XII: Construe **

For three days, Cloud sat in agony over Tifa. It felt like they were just going around in circles. He couldn't beat the thoughts out of his mind. The images of Tifa with Sephiroth bombarded his psyche and threatened his sanity. He couldn't fathom why he felt the way he did. He didn't really love Tifa, not like she wanted him to at least, but he felt possessive of her, jealous that she might desire someone else over him. Or maybe it was just his imagination, maybe it was just that little girl's notion still messing with him. There's no way Tifa would want Sephiroth more than him. It was ridiculous to think so.

He paced around his room deep in thought. He was so caught up in himself that he hadn't noticed Red XIII nudge open the door. The giant cat slinked across the room and nudged Cloud in the back of the leg. He started, but calmed when he looked down at him.

"What's up?" He'd been given the silent treatment for a few days, and the only one who ever spoke to him was Marlene.

"We're arriving at the Nother Crater…just thought you'd like to know." Red XIII said as he turned away. His voice was distant, quiet, like he wasn't sure if he should be speaking to Cloud or not.

"Thanks, Nanaki."

Red XIII paused. He banked his great head toward Cloud to regard him before continuing on his way. Cloud followed Red XIII out to the bridge and found everyone waiting.

"It's about time your ass got out here." Cid spat.

"I didn't know we were there already." Cloud had little defense.

"Jus' shut up." Barret growled.

Cloud meandered toward the window and looked down at the mountains below them. The misty terrain looked cold and unfriendly. Then, suddenly through the dense fog, he saw the opening – the wound left on the Planet's surface. They flew until they were directly over it, descending downward to be swallowed by the crater.

* * *

><p>Tifa did her best to look like she wasn't still bothered by Sephiroth. What happened between them four days prior would still hang in her memory forever, and forever cause unwanted tension between them. She hoped that she could better her situation and try to put it behind her, and Sephiroth hoped to do the same. She promised she'd give him a chance to prove himself to her, and she wanted to do her best to keep that promise. So they tried again. She gussied up and went downstairs to join him for dinner. He served her a foreign dish that she had no idea how to describe, only that it tasted delicious.<p>

Sephiroth trembled in her presence. He was angry at himself to be reduced to a blubbering pile of shit before her a few days ago. It was the first time in his life, which he'd actually got down on his knees and begged for forgiveness. He'd jinxed himself he later guessed, as he'd told her beloved puppet to do the same. But his blood boiled beneath his skin to be the victim of such power. He wondered if Tifa was more than a human. He wondered if she was his match, a goddess trapped in an earthly body like he was. There was no way a mortal woman could do what she did; to affect him the way she does. It was preposterous to think that a mere human could make him loose his mind so easily.

They ate in silence.

Tifa was caught up in her thoughts heavily just as he was. Her heart beat against her ribs harshly as she pondered over what had transpired the other day. She didn't know if it was because it was normal for a woman to feel guilty, or if she truly was to blame. But as she thought about it, she was really asking for it. She had told him to do it. _If you want my body, then take that too; it's not like I can exactly fight you off….You obviously want to fuck me, so do it! _Her own words haunted her. So was he really to blame, or did he just accept an offer presented to him? Did it really hurt that badly? She tried to assess it in her mind; perhaps she was just scared because Cloud had never taken her so rough before. He'd always been gentle and careful with her, and now Sephiroth had ravished her thoroughly. And more than anything it frightened her. Did he really hurt her as much as she thought he did, or was her mind just forcing her to believe it? She thought back to it, the way he felt when he was inside of her. He filled her up and stretched her with his large endowment, and it felt different than what she was used to. He was larger than Cloud, heavier, and he held her down. He was stronger than Cloud and perhaps had not meant to leave the bruises along her arms and legs. She thought it about it deeply; she wasn't raped at all was she? She was just taken harshly…even though she didn't really want it, she did give him permission. She told him to take what he wanted and he did.

Tifa looked up at Sephiroth who also turned to her. She eyed him critically, viewing his body and face. He was a beautiful man, and she was lucky to be desired by him. But she couldn't let her thoughts go unfounded so she decided to ask.

"Sephiroth, why did you do it?" She was as blunt as her brain allowed her to be.

Sephiroth did not answer right away, mainly because he really didn't have one.

"I don't know…I just…felt the need to show you who the master here was, I guess…" He lowered his eyes. "But …at the same time…I felt so aroused by your insolence…you're the first woman to do battle with me…physically or verbally…and all in all I have to say…it's sexy."

"It's sexy?" She flushed. Her face suddenly felt hot and she cupped her cheeks in her hands. "No one's ever said I was sexy."

"Not even Cloud?" Sephiroth pressed.

"No…not even Cloud…he told me I was beautiful, though."

"There's a difference between beautiful and sexy, Tifa…and you're both. I won't lie to you…your domineering nature make me erect."

"So that's all it was? I turned you on?" The entire room felt hot. "So you…didn't really want to hurt me?"

"No, Tifa…I didn't. I don't know what really came over me that night, all I know was that I was offended, aggravated, enraged, and completely aroused all at the same time."

"Oh…" She took a drink of her icy champagne, hoping that it would help her to cool down. Her face was redder than her dress.

"What's the matter, Tifa?" Sephiroth felt shame wash over him once again and he leaned over to attempt to comfort her. He went to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. She didn't mean to, but she leaned into his chest and his silvery hair swept against her face. She looked up at him with misty eyes and she caught a nose-full of his scent. "Are you alright, Tifa?"

"I-I'm fine…I just need to go to the bathroom, I think." She stood up on shaky legs and walked stiffly to the bathroom.

"Tifa…if I've once again said something wrong –"

"No, you've said nothing wrong. I'm just…." She wandered into the bathroom and sat down on the closed toilet. She buried her face in her hands. She thought about what she was going to say before closed the door. _No, you've said nothing wrong. I'm just horny too._ It was stupid. How could she suddenly be so turned on by him? Had he used some kind of special material on her or something? Or is she just a female in heat? Perhaps that was it, she just wanted a male.

After splashing some cool water on her face and cooling down, Tifa emerged from the bathroom, feeling slightly refreshed, though her clitoris tingled angrily between her thighs.

"What was it?" He inquired when she returned.

"Oh…nothing…" She crossed her legs to keep the throbbing at bay, and to keep him from smelling her own arousal.

But he caught her scent anyway, feeling himself grow hard. "Have you finished with your plate?"

"Yes, thank you." She handed him the dish and watched his firm ass as he walked away. She slapped her forehead. _What the hell, Tifa? Only the other day you hated him and wanted to kill him, now you actually want him to fuck you again!_ She warred with herself just as much as Sephiroth warred with himself. It was utter and extreme chaos in their minds! Neither of them knew what to think or do, and neither of them knew which thoughts to follow. They were equally split in two: one side full of animosity, the other side full of tenderness.

Sephiroth emerged from the kitchen and returned to the table. Tifa pretended not to notice his bulging pants. She just looked away from him and fiddled with her hair.

"I'm sorry if I offended you again." He sighed.

"It's not that, you're fine…I'm just tired I guess…there's been a lot of emotional stress between us."

"Yes, there has." He was at a loss of what to say. "Are you ready to go to bed?"

"I think so." Tifa stood and Sephiroth escorted her back up to her bedroom. His heightened senses picked up the change in her, and he was bewildered by it. It was so sharp and so sudden, the way his own emotions played havoc with him. They were both more than a little taken aback this turn of events.

They stopped at Tifa's door and he lifted her hand to his lips where he planted a tender kiss on her knuckles. She sighed lightly, the feeling of his mouth on her skin sent electricity surging through her.

"Goodnight, princess." He purred. "I hope to see you in the morning. I'll have breakfast waiting for you downstairs…if you care to join me for meals now on."

"Yes, please." She accepted sweetly. "I would like that very much."

"Good." He caressed her cheek tenderly before leaving for his room.

Tifa staggered toward her bed. All because he admitted to being aroused by her assertiveness…what a compliment! It was definitely original all the way. She was certain that's what turned her on. It was dumb, by all means, but it flattered her severely. Cloud hated her boldness, but Sephiroth _loved_ it! She never really thought that being blatant could be construed as a sexual strength. It made her tingle. But then, Sephiroth was unlike any man in the entire world.

So…she'll give him another chance.


	14. Ch XIII: Mine

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Here we go. REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XIII: Mine**

The crater was a deep dark cave, the wound of the Planet where Jenova landed when she fell from the sky. Cloud had suspected – with no supporting evidence – that Sephiroth had taken Tifa there. As the Highwind descended down into the cave, Cloud watched as the walls of the crater turned black as the sun was lost to the surface.

He waited with anticipation for them to touch ground. His heart raced with anticipation of seeing her, a part of him missed her desperately and more than anything wanted to see her safe. He crossed his arms to keep his body from shaking. He wanted to be able to just go in and get her, but he knew that wouldn't happen. Cloud's nerves spiked when they touched down at the floor of the crater and his heart threatened to burst in his chest. It was dark as the deepest depths of hell, and no one was to be found.

The team left the airship and cautiously scouted their surroundings. Nothing. There was nothing there. All they knew, was that it was dark, cold, and desolate. And that's all it was. No Tifa, no Sephiroth, just rocks. There wasn't even a glow from any mako present. It was just dry, dead earth.

"Nice goin' airhead!" Yuffie cried, her voice echoing menacingly throughout the cave. "You've lead us completely out of our way for _nothing!_"

Cloud had had enough of being pushed around. "And you followed me! You didn't have to take my idea! You asked me what I thought and I told you!"

"Hey calm down!" Barret yelled from a few yards away.

"And _you!_ You need to shut up too!" Cloud turned to him with murderous eyes. "Alright, so I made a foolish mistake! But the fact of the matter is that Tifa is _my_ woman, she's _my_ wife, she's _my property!_ And I'll be _damned _if someone like Sephiroth comes between us!" He marched heavily back to the airship leaving everyone completely stunned and speechless.

After regaining her breath Yuffie turned to Vincent and gulped, "What was that all about?"

Vincent looked at her, but said nothing.

The group returned to the ship and remained silent as they lifted up out of the crater. Cloud sat fuming on the bridge, staring out of the window though not really seeing anything. He'd hoped he'd have her in his arms now, safe and secure. But she wasn't and he couldn't stand it. His eyes were dark and his mouth was just a thin line. The tension in the room was suffocating.

No one dared approach him, except one brave soul.

"I never thought you'd react like that." Vincent sighed as he sat down beside him. He was only one willing to speak to Cloud, the only one that felt he could somehow connect to him.

"Neither did I." Cloud hung his head. "I just want to get her back."

"Why? Why do you suddenly want her back so badly?" Vincent had no real ties to Cloud, but he knew what it was like to lose the woman he loved. "Do you love Tifa? The last I assumed you desired Aerith."

Cloud flinched when he spoke the name of his true beloved. "I do…to be honest, I'd rather be with Aerith than with Tifa."

"So why go through the trouble of taking back a woman you don't care for?"

"I do care for Tifa…we grew up together; she's my best friend." Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with trembling fingers.

"You spoke so possessively of her, like you own her."

"She signed her life away when we got married, she took my name and vowed to be faithful to me and only me…until death do us part…She _is_ mine."

"You didn't make the same vow?"

"That's not the point…"

"Cloud…to be perfectly honest with you, I don't think this is really about Tifa, is it? You're using her as an excuse."

Cloud's eyes shot to him. "What do you mean?"

"You want to avenge Aerith, and Tifa's kidnapping has presented the perfect opportunity to get Sephiroth."

Cloud didn't deny it, though he wasn't sure exactly if that was really the case or not. Yes he wanted to kill Sephiroth because of Aerith, but he wanted to get Tifa back as well.

"Cloud…I know exactly how you feel…but it's all in vain. Aerith is dead…" Vincent drew in a sharp breath. "I feel exactly the same way about Lucrecia. The only difference between you and I is that you had the chance to have a perfectly good relationship with Tifa."

"And I threw it away." Cloud lowered his gaze once more. "I don't really care though. I was tired of being selfless, I married Tifa because she loved me and wanted me…I stayed with her to keep her happy…but I _wasn't_ happy."

"But weren't you being cruel to her by doing that? By making her believe that you cared for her more than just a friend? Did it ever occur to you that she might have been suffering?"

Cloud didn't answer, he just hung his head.

"Cloud…are you even sure she wants to be rescued?" Vincent's words ran Cloud through, his body went cold.

"M-marlene said the same thing."

"She may have a point. Sephiroth, in the eyes of many, is a monster…but a monster can still feel. Did it ever dawn on you that she might want to be with him?"

"How can you say something like that?"

"Think about it, Cloud…your living quarters were in perfect order upstairs, and so was the bar…if Sephiroth took her against her will, she'd have put of a decent fight. Though nothing was out of place, nothing looked suspicious…as if she just walked out calmly with him. If she was in danger, she'd have found away to contact someone. It's been more than a week now…and not a word."

"She could be dead…"

"Not likely…Tifa is strong and brave…she wouldn't _allow _Sephiroth to kill her." Vincent shifted a little and changed the subject, lowering his voice. "Cloud, when we find them…If you really want to kill Sephiroth that badly…I will not help you fight him. And be certain…that if you succeed, I will kill you myself."

Cloud looked up at him with concern and questioning. "Why would you kill _me?_"

"I have my reasons." Vincent removed himself from Cloud's presence.

Cloud was left feeling cold and a sense of doom hovered over him.

* * *

><p>Jenova watched as Tifa wandered through her garden again that morning. She clenched her teeth when Sephiroth appeared bringing out their breakfast to the gazebo in the center of the yard. She wrinkled her nose at the sugary glaze and whipped cream covering the pancakes. Uttering a soft "tsk", Jenova backed away from the window and strutted across the room. It wasn't fair…she had Sephiroth first, she was light of his life, and now that that little bitch had come in to the house, she was literally living in the shadows. She no longer felt like Sephiroth really needed her; he had that little hussy now. Jenova wanted to crush that girl's skull in, so Sephiroth would return to his senses…and her arms.<p>

"All in good time." She assured herself. "He'll be mine once again.

* * *

><p>"How is your morning, Tifa?" Sephiroth inquired as he scooted closer to her.<p>

"It's good." She said with a smile. "I slept well too…and you?"

"Very well indeed." His heart fluttered with her smile.

Something had happened to both of them in their sleep that night. Neither of them was really sure what it was, but they both had lovely dreams. The dreams were forgotten as soon as they woke, but they were left feeling hopeful and both willing to let all the negativity go. It was completely unlike either of them to feel this way, but they did. Tifa decided at some point in the night that it was completely useless to try avoiding him, and completely useless to continue hating him for things that can't be changed. Sephiroth decided at some point in the night that he'd stop trying to _make _her come to him and let her do it on her own, hoping that this would help convince her that he really did love her. Sephiroth and Tifa both agreed independently, and without speaking to the other, that what happened between them the other night was simply consensual though unconventional sex. She gave him permission, he took the offer, and they both sat through the aftermath together. There was no crime and no one to blame. Nothing was wrong, no reason for either of them to be ashamed.

So they ate their breakfast in peace, occasionally mentioning the weather and the scenery, sincerely expressing their pleasure. Sephiroth cleared the table, but Tifa insisted that she'd like to wash the dishes that morning. Sephiroth didn't want her to get her lovely hands dirty, but in the end gave in to her wishes.

After she'd finished with that minor chore, Tifa and Sephiroth went back outside to enjoy the beauty of the day. It wasn't too cold that day and the sun shone brightly. Tifa was wearing a pretty yellow sundress and big floppy hat, while Sephiroth still maintained his solid black attire. It was not the leather coat and armor he so often wore, but a black shirt and pants combo. It looked good on him, but Tifa fancied him wearing blue for some reason; she thought he'd look good in it.

"Have you ever tried wearing a different color than black?" She asked sweetly as they sat together at the fountain.

"No…I've never thought of it."

"I think you'd look handsome in blue."

"You don't think I look handsome in black?"

"N-no no…it's not that at all…I think you're handsome all the time…" She blushed and then felt embarrassed when she realized what she'd said.

"Well…in that case…you're beautiful in anything…" He confessed gently. "I've always thought that you were…even when you're filthy and disheveled, I find you stunning."

"Really?" She looked at her feet.

"Yes, princess…" He lifted her chin to make her look at him. "Tifa, I love you. I know you don't believe me…but it's the truth. And it's not just your beauty that I love…it's your strength, your intelligent mind, your incredible will to fight for what you believe in. There is not another woman like you in the world, Tifa…understand that…there is not another woman I'd rather live my life with…"

"Sephiroth…" She felt like crying, only this time, her tears would be shed for a different reason. "N-no one's ever said anything so…romantic to me…"

"Not even Cloud?"

"Not even Cloud." She closed her eyes and turned away from him. "Sephiroth…do you mean it?"

"Tifa…I never do anything without a real reason…and bringing you hear is not about malice, it's not about Cloud, not about revenge, my mother, or the Planet… It's all about _you_…my feelings for _you._ I love you. I can't stress it enough. I know words are not enough to prove it, but I hope that one day, my actions will be."

Tifa began to cry. She wept tears that had no pain. Sephiroth was confused by her, but she began to smile through the tears, and he understood. She was not weeping from pain, fear, or anger; she wept from joy and flattery. Sephiroth had heard of such a phenomenon, though he'd never witnessed it, and it was beautiful. He put his arms around her small form and pulled her close to him, and let her cry against his chest. Tifa clutched at him, relishing in his warmth. Her hat slid off of her head and Sephiroth planted a delicate kiss on her hair before resting his cheek there.

Tifa just let all her feelings run loose. She didn't care anymore if he saw. She didn't know if he was truly sincere or not, though she was hopeful that he would prove his words true. But why did it have to be him? Why could it have been Cloud to tell her these things? She loved Cloud, she did not love Sephiroth. Though, she had come to find in her life, that what you want isn't necessarily what you need.

She lifted her eyes to him, Sephiroth raked back her glossy dark hair and cupped her cheek. He gazed down in her face and eyed her slightly parted lips. He longed to press his own lips to them and feel their softness, taste the sweetness of her breath. So he leaned downward, first he nuzzled her tenderly. He could hear her heart throbbing in her chest and feel her pulse tickling the tips of his fingers. His hair tumbled over his shoulder and fell around her, creating a silky curtain to shield them from view. He placed the smallest of kisses at the corner of her mouth, and then followed with a firm kiss placed perfectly on her lips. He did not urge her to go any further, his hands did not roam; he only cradled her head and caressed her hair.

Tifa wasn't sure how to react. His kiss was so gentle it was almost unnerving. His lips were like satin and his breath was warm and smelled so sweet. She unconsciously caressed his chest and leaned closer. She clutched a handful of his hair and rubbed it between her fingers.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for both of them. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to pull away, but he did. She was left feeling heavy, and almost drained. Sephiroth continued to hold her. She stared up into his eyes, for the first time seeing how green and shining his mako gaze was. She rested her forehead against his chest and he rested his cheek on her head once more.

"Sephiroth…"

"Yes, Tifa?"

"You….y-you're a good kisser…"

"Oh?" He smiled and rubbed her back. "So are you. But I expect nothing less from you. You are perfect in every way."

They released each other and she stepped away. She suddenly felt a pair of eyes on her, but they weren't Sephiroth's. She felt them running through her back, a piercing gaze from someone staring daggers at her. She turned around and looked up at the window above them and saw a pale hand drop the curtains.

"S-sephiroth? Who else is in this house?" She asked, her hair standing on end.

"I haven't been completely honest with you." He confessed quietly. "We're not alone here. My mother is here as well."


	15. Ch XIV: Smoldering

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Alright, moving on to phase 2...it's getting closer to the end, consider this chapter to be the halfway point. Hopefully you'll enjoy. And as always...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XIV: Smoldering**

"You're mother?" Tifa was surprised. "Jenova?"

"Yes. She follows me everywhere."

"So…since you want to marry me so badly…doesn't she want to meet me?" Tifa shivered at thought of coming in contact with that creature.

"No. My mother is a possessive one…she doesn't really wish for me to seek out the company of another. As a matter of fact, she abhors the idea."

"I thought you wished to please her at every turn, why do you dishonor her wishes?"

"She is my mother, Tifa, not my master. I will please _myself_ when I see fit." He caressed her cheek. "I want a bride, and my mother can't take that away from me."

"So…does she hate me?"

"Yes she does. She tells me constantly, everyday that you're nothing but a waste of my time. And quite frankly, Tifa, I'm growing sick of it. But don't fear her, she wouldn't dare touch you. My patience is short, and my temper is quick. And it terrifies her."

* * *

><p>"Screw you, Yuffie!" Cloud roared.<p>

"Right back atcha!" The ninja cried as she leapt away from him. She just couldn't let it go. Yuffie wanted nothing more than to pick a fight with Cloud and she got her way as soon as she started prodding him about being wrong about that damn crater.

"You didn't have any ideas at all, so shut up!"

"Your _mama,_ Cloud!"

Cloud paused.

"Whoo….don't go bringin' somone's mama into this now." Cid warned. "Remember the last time Cloud made a bad mama joke? Sephiroth tried to bring down Meteor to smash his ass!" He and Barret both erupted in a fit of laughter.

"And you think that joke was any better?" Vincent growled from the corner. "You leave Sephiroth's mother out of this as well…I won't have you mentioning her at all…"

"What? You got the hots for the broad or somethin'?"

Vincent was about to wallop Cid for that remark, but Barret got between them.

"Alright that's enough now." He tried to cool them down. "We can't save Tifa if we fight with _each other._"

Cloud sat down and breathed.

"Alright, you guys." Barret motioned for everyone to take a seat and calm themselves. "We gotta think of where he mighta taken her."

"Does he have a hideout?" Cait Sith asked out of the blue.

"A hideout?" Cid rubbed his chin and lit up another cig. "Well…uh…we _thought_ that's what the _crater_ was, ya little…"

"_Cid!_" Barret was reaching the end of his sanity. If he'd known they'd just start fighting with each other, then he'd have just taken Yuffie and gone after Tifa without them.

"Well…we can ask Shinra." Cloud muttered hesitantly.

"What? Are you insane?" Yuffie prodded again.

"The Turks can help us track Sephiroth's location."

It was a good idea. Cloud might actually be onto something this time.

Barret thought about it. He'd rather not get involved with Shinra, but if it worked. "Okay…let's see if they'll help. But _you_ gotta be the one to ask."

Cloud dropped his head. He was afraid of that.

* * *

><p>Tifa rolled over in her bed. She was restless and unable to get comfortable. She tossed and turned and she still couldn't find a good position to lie in. The night was colder than usual and the heat from the fireplace wasn't helping it any. She drew the sheets up higher and cocooned herself. But it still didn't keep the cold at bay.<p>

The fire lit up the room with a golden glow and she tried to let the flickering of the flames lull her to sleep. But nothing allowed her to sleep. It was impossible! She rolled over again and finally decided to get up. She dragged her feet into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. Her hair was in complete disarray and her nightgown was rumpled. She stared at the dark rings under her eyes and pushed back her hair. With a heavy yawn she straightened up her nightgown and tossed her dressing gown over her shoulders. She wasn't warm at all and she might as well be at home in Midgar. She crossed her arms and paced with irritation around her room, hoping that she'd soon tire herself out.

But it didn't happen. She'd probably walked in circles for about half an hour and still she was wide awake. It was absurd. She'd had a perfect day given the circumstances, and she really couldn't sleep. She left her room and meandered down the hall. She didn't really realized where she ended up until she was standing in front of Sephiroth's door.

Tifa stared up at the door. She wasn't sure what she was really thinking but she tapped on the door. He was probably sleeping, but she knocked again. She stood there a moment, but heard no movement, so she decided to leave. Then there was a sound. The door cracked open and Sephiroth was standing there, his hair was a mess and he was only wearing his pants. Like he'd just rolled out of bed and pulled them on.

"Tifa?" He questioned in a hushed tone. "Are you alright?" She never disturbed him in the night.

"Yes…I just couldn't sleep." She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's fine, Tifa." He opened the door wider. "Please come inside."

She entered and shuddered a little as the door shut behind her. She felt Sephiroth behind her and all her hair stood on end at his presence.

"So why couldn't you sleep?" He yawned and fell back onto his bed.

"It's cold and I couldn't get comfortable." She crossed her arms and tried to arm herself. "It feels like my house in Midgar. Our heat was out…"

"I'm sorry." He put his hand out to her. "If you want you can sleep in here tonight. It's warmer up here than downstairs. I'll sleep elsewhere." He got back up and she grasped his hand, he led her to the bed and let her sit. But as he turned to leave, she retained grip on his hand.

"Don't go…please stay…" She begged softly. She didn't know why she wanted him to stay, but she didn't wish to be alone that night.

"Where shall I sleep then?" Sephiroth inquired as he stood in front of her, gazing downward at her tiny form.

"Sleep in here with me." She squeezed his hand. "Please?"

Sephiroth stared down into her eyes, wondering what had suddenly gotten in to her. He searched for the answer in her crimson depths. The flicker of a nervous feeling made him wonder if she'd had a heinous nightmare, she wouldn't come to him for comfort, for he _was_ her nightmares. But Tifa's eyes did not reflect fear or grief. There was a burning there deep inside of her; he could see it smoldering in her soul. The yearning for love and acceptance, the burn to be the center of the universe, to be desired above all else; it was all there in her mind.

Tifa was unaware that she felt this way at all. But she sensed emptiness in her soul that had been there so long she'd become accustomed to it. However, her body ached and her heart threatened to fail her often, it was almost like her heart was cracked severely, and ever beat threatened to make it shatter. She always knew of it, though learned to drown it out. Now she was sitting in the presence of a man that claimed to love her with every inch of his being. He promised to mend her heart before it finally broke and give her the love she'd always wanted. She stared back into his glowing green eyes. His was a beautiful man and his body was to die for. He had huge pecs and abs _on_ his abs! His arms were enormous and his legs were big and powerful. She'd thought Cloud had been well built, but Sephiroth easily made him look like a shrimp.

As her eyes scanned over his large manly figure, she unconsciously raised a hand to his chest and raked her nails down to the waist of his pants. Sephiroth's breath hitched and his skin felt like it was on fire. A deep, soft moan escaped his lips and he let his head roll back when she did it again. His tiny male nipples were already hard, but they found clearance to tighten more. Tifa stood and closed the space between them. Sephiroth did not move to touch her; he did not wish to break her from her reverie. She massaged his chest with her small hands, sending tremors of pleasure throughout his body. Tifa turned her gaze back up to his face and he took the opportunity to steal another kiss. Tifa was not surprised or alarmed by him; she welcomed the kiss wholeheartedly. It was not urgent or forceful, but soft and tender like it had been that morning. Tifa leaned into him once more and deepened the connection. Sephiroth broke the kiss and turned her around to face the bed. She stared at the rumpled sheets where he'd been sleeping and longed to be wrapped in them. Sephiroth pushed her long hair aside and sent electric shocks down her body when his lips made contact with the back of her neck. She gasped in pleasure and grinned when his velvet tongue darted out and tickled at her skin. She sighed contentedly as she let her head fall back against his shoulder. He claimed her mouth once more as his hands glided up her sides and he took gentle hold of her breasts. They were soft and supple, and her small teats poked enticingly through the sheer fabric of her nightgown. As he massaged them with his big hands, he was pleasantly surprised when Tifa introduced some tongue into their kiss. She tickled his lips, coaxing him to open his mouth up. He replied with a gentle application of his own tongue to her and they danced together between their lips. This emboldened Sephiroth and he grasped her nightgown, but as he began to lift it, she grasped his hand and tore away from the kiss. Perhaps he was wrong to think she wanted to go further…she was teasing him…But then she pushed him into the chair that sat opposite his bed and knelt between his legs. She immediately went for his pants, pulling them down and then straight off. She was then met face to face with his extreme endowment. She'd never seen another man's penis besides Cloud's, and in comparison, Cloud looked like a little boy. Sephiroth's mighty phallus stood tall and thick for her, both terrifying and intriguing. She'd not had a chance to see and admire it before, but now she was unable to tear her gaze from it. It looked like it belonged to a god, and she was ready to worship it. She took hold of the base, then stroked up the length of it, lingering at the tip for only a moment before lowering it to take the head into the mouth. He was much too thick to completely engulf, but she managed to swallow a few inches and rubbed with her hand what she couldn't. She swirled her tongue around it and slurped at it, taking her own pleasure in listening to his strangled moans. She tasted the saltiness of his pre-cum dripping from his tip and she swallowed it in blissful anticipation. He gripped a handful of her hair and tugged on it, his hips bucked and he felt himself growing closer to his climax. She continued to suck and slurp until finally Sephiroth grasped her head between his hands and held her steady as he released his load in her mouth. He'd never cum so quickly in his life…he felt relieved but at the same time ashamed, worrying that he wouldn't last long enough should they go all the way. But Tifa didn't seem to mind at all. She swallowed most of his semen and spit out what she couldn't handle. With a smile, Tifa wiped off her chin and walked toward the bed. She turned back to face Sephiroth, her eyes glistening with lust. With a flick of her elegant wrists, her white nightgown slid easily from her body, landing in a pool of chiffon at her ankles. Sephiroth drew in a sharp breath and released it with a moan as he marveled at her form. She looked absolutely delicious. Her body was that of a beautiful Seraph and he grasped himself, still hard and ready for whatever she had in mind. Tifa coaxed him over, with her finger before lying back on the bed. She spread her legs open enough to allow him a descent view and Sephiroth was pleased with her presentation. He could smell her woman scent wafting up and tantalizing his senses, he knelt between her knees just as she'd knelt between his and he pressed his lips against her tender opening. His tongue slid out and glided gently along her slit, becoming completely intoxicated by her taste. He closed his eyes and slid his hands up her thighs, tickling her softly behind her knees. She gasped when his tongue darted across her clit. Her muscles tensed and her hips bucked automatically. Sephiroth knew then, that was where she liked to be touched. He stayed there, taking the tiny pearl between his lips and flicked at it with his tongue. She tasted so sweet and her delicate folds were so soft! He moaned in his own pleasure and smiled inwardly when she began to lose control. Her hips bucked wildly and her hands found refuge in his hair. She cried out soft wails of pleasure and arched her back as she finally fell over the edge. She relaxed with a shaky body as Sephiroth rose up and hovered over her. She reached out to him with open arms and he accepted the invitation to come to lie atop her. He kissed her once more, loving the feeling of her mouth more than anything. But all kisses must end, but their frolicking didn't. Sephiroth propped himself up on one elbow and stroked down her body with his free hand. She sighed breathily as his hands ghosted over her skin.

"I'm cold, Sephiroth…warm my body…" She whispered against his ear.

Sephiroth was taken aback by her words. He was certain then that he was dreaming. But if it were a dream, he'd not feel as he did. Dreams had no substance, no physicality, so he kissed her again. He lifted one of her legs and it raised her hips just enough for him to glide easily inside of her. Tifa tossed her head back in shock and a little bit of pain. Her inner walls were stretching to accommodate his tremendous size and her entire form shuddered from the contact. Sephiroth closed his eyes and groaned loudly as she squeezed him. She was so tight; had he not known better, he'd have thought her to be a virgin. She was hot and wet, and felt so much better than she did the last time. She was welcoming him this time, and it was so much more pleasurable. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clenched her teeth as she gasped for breath as he drew out only to plunge back in. It was uncomfortable for her; he was just too big. But she closed her eyes and took it, not wanting to stop. Sephiroth gyrated his hips as gently as he could, trying to bring her the utmost pleasure, but she just groaned in discomfort. Sephiroth stopped and she opened her eyes, his face held much concern for her.

"Tifa…if you don't really want it…"

"Shh…" She silenced him. "I want it…and I want it with _you_…but I'm not used to such a large man…"

Sephiroth slid back inside of her and held her there firmly, hoping that her body would expand and he'd be better contained. Tifa tried to flex her muscles and she squeezed him. Sephiroth hissed at the pressure around his shaft and he buried his face in her hair, releasing a heavy groan there. Tifa purred at the full feeling and she smiled. It was beginning to feel better and she took the first initiative to begin rocking her hips back and forth.

Sephiroth growled and began to move with long, smooth strokes. Her channel was silky and soft, and oh so wet. He whispered into her ear, commending her on the way she felt, telling her that she was glorious, and unabashedly unleashed his need through his words. Tifa replied with only delicate mewling and she crooned against his cheek.

"You…sound as if you're singing…" He dropped his lips to her neck and teased her there. She sang all the more.

Sephiroth did his best to restrain himself, trying not to let his own desire get in the way of bringing her pleasure. He wanted her to be the first to climax; he wanted her to ride out her orgasm as he reached his own. He could feel her walls contracting almost painfully around him, and he grit his teeth and tried with all his strength to contain himself. Tifa clutched to him and rode him out. Before she was really realizing what was happening, light flashed behind her eyes and she reeled beneath him, crying out for him to give her more and more.

"Oh…please…give it to me…" She gasped.

He kept up his pace, not changing it for fear she'd lose her momentum. Then suddenly, it happened. She snapped. And the most enormous wave of pleasure ripped through her body and she arched her back, tossing her hair back, and trying to catch her breath.

"S-sss…" She tried to speak. "S-ee…Sephiroth…_oh Sephiroth!_" She cried out his name and this was just enough to send him reeling to his climax. He'd waited for years to hear her voice screaming his name in ecstasy. And now, he growled harshly and rammed into her as deep as he could, gripping her hips tightly and unleashing his load straight into her womb. It was so powerful; she could almost feel it striking her insides. Sephiroth managed to fall to the side before he collapsed and smothered her. He was still moaning harshly and both their bodies trembled beneath the cold and the aftershocks of their lovemaking. Sephiroth found some strength and managed to pull her up and place her under the sheets. He positioned himself beside her and cradled her against his chest.

Tifa had no strength at all. She cuddled against her sworn enemy and relished in the feeling of his body. She felt tired, though she still wasn't sleepy. Sephiroth played idly with her hair and stared up at the ceiling, completely awake despite the situation.

"Why did you come to me?" Sephiroth asked, his voice was a husky whisper.

"I really don't know…" She answered truthfully. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to wander around the house, but I then I came to your door…and…I just felt the urge to see you."

"You wanted to see me?" He looked down at her.

"Yes…I wanted to…" She buried her face in his chest. "I wanted you to keep me warm…"

"And did I?"

"Yes."

"Good." Sephiroth rolled onto his side and lowered himself so that he was even with her. "And this time…was it to your satisfaction? Are you going to hate me in the morning?"

"No, I enjoyed every moment. Though it did hurt a little at first."

"It will be easier next time."

"Yes."


	16. Ch XV: Afterwards

**I do no own Final Fantasy VII...of course I don't, however in due time when I take control of the planet through a mega-corporation and send men in black suits to kill you when you don't pay your electricity bills, Square Enix may grant me the rights...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XV: Afterwards**

It wasn't until the next day that Tifa realized what she'd done. She wasn't exactly ashamed of herself, but she wasn't proud either. In fact, she was worried. She was worried that Sephiroth would think she returned his feelings…but that actually was the least of her worries…there was something else – but she didn't want to think about that!

When she finally woke up that morning, she was alone. So what now? She sat up and propped her pillows up behind so she could sit comfortably against the headboard. As she looked over to her side, she found a tray of whipped cream-smothered pancakes and note.

_I have gone out for a while. I will return shortly, my princess. _

Tifa put the note aside and dug into the pancakes. As she was eating, she felt a weight behind her on the bed. She anticipated Sephiroth's touch. A hand reached out and caressed her hair, the fingers combed through the strands, and she leaned back into the touch.

"Hmm…you've got very lovely hair…I wish I'd known Sephiroth preferred darker girls." A sensuous _female _voice purred from behind her.

Tifa tensed instantly. Every hair on her body stood on end and her senses spiked. Her breath hitched in her throat and she wasn't sure if her heart was still beating. She tried to turn, but the arm around her neck and the hand clapped over her mouth. Whomever this was had her in a choke-hold and could easily snap her neck if she struggled. Tifa remained still. The legs of the woman behind her wrapped around her waist and pinned her arms down to her sides. Tifa was completely incapacitated.

"You've got some nerve coming in here…the only woman allowed to be in here is _me. _Sephiroth belongs to me; he's _my_ man." She tightened her hold. "You are nothing. One day he will grow bored of you and cast you aside. Remember, I am the first in his life…and the only one worthy of him. You better hope your friends come to save you soon…I'm going to _kill _you." Then she released her.

Tifa slowly turned around. There was no one. She was alone. The most powerful shiver ran down her spine, and she dashed to the door and headed straight for her bedroom. As soon as she made it, she collapsed onto her bed and curled up into a fetal position. She began to cry quietly. Tifa tried not to wail, but she sniffled and coughed a little.

"Oh…C-cloud…please come get me…_please_…"

Sephiroth opened the window and stepped down into the room. It seemed to be empty. He cautiously looked to the side at the bed and found the sheets rumpled and the pillow having fallen to the floor. The tray of food he'd left for Tifa had barely been eaten and the note was laying on the mattress. Her white nightgown was still in heap on the floor near his feet.

"Tifa?" It was unlike her to leave things in such a state. He cast his gaze around the room and furtively went down to Tifa's bedroom. He tapped on the door.

No answer.

"_Tifa?"_ He pushed the door open and found her laying on her bed weeping into her pillows. He rushed to her side and lifted her into his arms. "Tifa, why are you crying?"

She didn't answer, only clung to him and cried in his chest. Sephiroth laid them down and cradled her against him tenderly. She petted her hair and rubbed her back. He held her close, trying to comfort her.

"Tifa…why are you crying?" He inquired again.

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"I-I think I met your mother."

"What did she do?" He clutched her shoulders.

"She restrained me and had me in a headlock, then told me that I was nothing and that she was…"

"What?"

"She said she'd…kill me."

"_What?_" He darted toward the door and made a mad dash toward the attic room where Jenova preferred to haunt.

Busting the door open, Sephiroth found Jenova perched on the windowsill.

"My son…" She put her hand out to him.

Sephiroth grabbed her hand and dragged her from the window and to the floor. Jenova giggled when Sephiroth knelt above her.

"Oh…what's this now?" She smirked up at him and made to stroke up his leg.

Within seconds, Masamune was at her throat. Her eyes widened and she froze stiff. She knew what it meant when Sephiroth drew that blade. She shrunk away from him and flattened herself on the floor.

"Sephiroth?"

"What did you say to Tifa?" His eyes were so dark they were almost black. His face was bleak and his teeth were bared viciously.

The room suddenly went cold and Jenova wished she was back in her tank at the Nibelheim Reactor.

"I'm waiting, Mother…or shall I remove your head once more?" He lowered the razor sharp edge to her throat and began to slowly press it into her flesh. "Did you not threaten to kill her?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Jenova tried to sound nonchalant. "I have not yet approached her."

"You forget, Mother…I know when you lie." He tapped his temple with a slender finger.

Jenova eyed him up and down and finally went completely flaccid. She lay limply on the floor and Sephiroth knew she surrendered. He removed his blade and lifted her. He took her into his arms and she smiled inwardly when he cradled her against his chest and carried her back to her window.

"My son, I only wish what's best for you. You are my pride and joy, and any mother in the world only wants what's in her child's best interest." She stood again. "Oh…my little darling…I know you have feelings for this girl…" She pressed against his chest once more. "But a relationship with her will only end in heartbreak for you…she's dangerous, Sephy…she seeks to destroy you."

Sephiroth pushed her off and turned to leave.

"Remember your brothers, Sephiroth."

He paused, though kept his back to her.

"Remember Genesis and Angeal…both of them were attached to things…felt love for things….that held them back from becoming gods. Angeal loved that boy…the one he wished was his son. Do you remember? And _Genesis_…Genesis and his damned poem and his infatuation with a Goddess that doesn't exist. They both threw away their destinies and lives away over such earthly things. You are my last child, Sephiroth…the last one to fulfill your destiny and birthright as the ruler of this planet…but that woman will only hold you back."

"You're wrong." Sephiroth turned to face her. "Tifa will not be my downfall…she will be my salvation. She will be my queen when I take control of the Planet. She will rule beside me and bear me many children to continue my legacy."

* * *

><p>Cloud was a pile of nerves when they landed back in Midgar. It took three days to get back to the city and now Cloud had to meet with Rufus Shinra to ask to use his Turks. He wasn't looking forward to it at all. Aside from Sephiroth, Shinra was the last person he wanted to speak to, let alone ask a favor.<p>

"So you want me to loan you the Turks?" Rufus leaned back in his chair and peered up at Cloud with a smug air.

"Yes." Cloud wasn't afraid of Rufus, but he didn't like him at all.

"What for?"

"Tifa is missing, I think she was kidnapped by Sephiroth." Cloud gulped hard.

"Why would you think that?" Rufus seemed just as calm and collected as if they were talking about something completely trivial.

"Tifa's friend. She heard Sephiroth looking for Tifa at the hotel they were staying at." Cloud wasn't comfortable being questioned, but if it led to him getting help.

Rufus drummed his fingers on his desk.

"Well…my Turks can certainly help you. Or I can just tell you myself."

Cloud was shocked. Rufus knew where Sephiroth was! He was about to plunge in on the offer, but cautioned himself.

"What's the catch?"

"The catch? Hmm…" Rufus smirked. "I'll tell you where Sephiroth is if you lend me your assistance in any matter requiring your help from here on in."

"So you want me to sell you my soul?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"To hell with you, then."

"Then to hell with finding your girlfriend."

"My _wife._"

"Oh that's right, I forgot you got married. Come now, Cloud, if you really care about her then you'd do anything to get her back wouldn't you?"

"I don't want to work for you."

"Then you don't want to find her. You know I don't give anything for free; you have to pay for it."

Cloud thought about it…it's not like Avalanche will be angry with him or anything; they already hate his guts. So what did he really have to lose? And if doing a few chores for Shinra every now and then got him closer to finding Sephiroth, then he didn't really care either.

"Alright, I'm in. So where is he?"

"Well, Sephiroth asked me for some land about a year ago."

"Some land?"

"Correction…he didn't really ask…he more or less threatened my life." Rufus turned to a map. "In the Northern Continent. He _persuaded _me to grant him most of the land around there. Though, to be honest I'm not sure what he wanted it for, but if it meant he'd spare my life, I gave it to him."

"Damn it!" Cloud exclaimed. "We were just there!"

"Well, you need to go back." Rufus smiled. "I don't know where he is hiding exactly, all I know is that he wanted the land. So if I were you, I'd start there."

Cloud left Shinra and returned to 7th Heaven where the team was waiting.

"So do we have the Turks?" Barret asked as soon as Cloud opened the door.

"No."

The team groaned in dismay.

"But we have a lead."

The team perked back up.

"Shinra told me that Sephiroth came to him for some land on the Northern Continent."

"Why?" Yuffie asked.

"He doesn't really know, at least he wouldn't tell me. At any rate, that's where we need to start looking."

"But we were just there."

"We're going back then. We'll search the whole continent if we have to."

"He didn't tell you where this land was?"

"In the mountains."

"Alright, we head out first thing in the morning." Cid said before rolling back on the couch.

"Right, everyone get rested up." Barret ordered. "We're leavin' bright 'n early."


	17. Ch XVI: Opposites

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII...bleh...but I own a copy of the game...if that counts...XD REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XVI: Opposites**

Cloud stared at the empty spot beside him where Tifa slept. He caressed the mattress and imagined a sleeping form there. He then grabbed her pillows and piled them up under the comforter to create an effigy of her. An act of comforting himself. He cuddled the pillows and pretended it was a woman he was holding. His mind tossed and turned because he couldn't decide if he was imagining it was Tifa or Aerith. Cloud couldn't shake it. Since Tifa's kidnapping, his heart and mind had both been torn between feelings for both women. He clutched at the pillows and felt hot tears stream down his cheeks. He wished things would hurry up and return to normal. He just wanted his old life back.

Dawn came much earlier than Cloud wanted, and he received a rude awakening from Cid who told him to get his ass up or he'd throttle him so hard his brain would be forced out his mouth. _A little harsh even for Cid_, Cloud thought.

"I'm up…I'm up…"

Cloud still slothed around however. He got dressed slowly and further took time to brush his teeth. He felt so drained, as if all the energy had been siphoned from his veins. He knew it was all in his head, he'd felt it before. His inner battle with his ill-fated love-triangle; it toyed with his health. He dragged his feet all the more as he headed down stairs and met everyone shoveling down some breakfast before leaving.

"What's for breakfast?" Cloud asked as he joined them at the table.

"Nothing for you; you're late so we ate it all." Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Come on! You're in my house-"

"No we're not." She said brightly. "We're in _Tifa's_ house…you just live here sometimes."

Cloud was amiss. He really couldn't argue with her on that one.

"Whatever."

The team finished up quickly and returned to the Highwind where it sat at rest outside the city. It had a bumpy take-off but as soon as it rose into the sky, the flight was smooth.

So they had another three days until they reached the Northern Continent. Another three days until he'd be any closer to getting Tifa back. But, he wondered, how long would it take to find her when they finally reached the continent?

Cloud settled back into his cabin and tossed himself back on his bed. He was still tired from the restless night's sleep, so he decided to take another nap. It's not like there was anything better to do.

"I really hope Tifa's ok." Yuffie mumbled as she put her head down on the table in the galley.

"Come on now," Barret comforted, "this is Tifa we're talkin' 'bout. I'm sure she's alright."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah." He said positively, though deep down inside he really wasn't so sure.

"I still maintain that she doesn't really want to be rescued." Vincent uttered from under his red cloak.

"That's because you're crazy, Vinnie." Yuffie spat before hiding her face in her elbow again.

"Perhaps I am."

Yuffie was sure she saw him grin from under his cloak. He was such an enigma. She did her best to ignore him.

Barret just shook his head and reclined back in his seat. "As much as I hate Shinra, I'd hoped he'd let us use the Turks to find her."

"I know…me too…" She whined. "I want to get all this over with."

"You speak for all of us."

"So are we going to try and fight him?"

"Yeah, if he doesn't surrender her, we got no choice."

"I will not help you fight him…and remember it's best that you not kill him." Vincent warned once more.

"What is it with you and him?" Yuffie sat up straight. "He's our greatest enemy and you won't help your friends?"

"Sephiroth is special to me. I will not take his life…nor bring him harm in any way. However, I would gladly sacrifice myself for him."

"I don't get it." Barret crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "What is he to you?"

Vincent stood and went for the door. "You'd never understand."

* * *

><p>Tifa relaxed against Sephiroth's chest. He didn't wish to leave her alone because of Jenova. His mother's hostile nature was becoming more and more prominent and he wished to keep Tifa as safe as possible. He kissed her hair and wrapped his arm around her. She was so soft and smelled so sweet.<p>

"I love you…" He whispered against her ear.

"I know…" Tifa sighed as she rolled over to face him. She looked up into his green gaze and took a handful of his silver hair and twisted it between her fingers. "You…really think I'm beautiful, Sephiroth?"

"Yes…your beauty surpasses all." He held her closer.

"I think you are too." She reached up and stroked his cheek. "You know, I always thought Cloud was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen and I thought you were the scariest. But now…now I think you are the most gorgeous. I don't understand what's exactly happened these past couple of weeks…but we've both changed somehow…It's like none of that bad stuff ever happened."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I was beginning to think I was the only one." He grinned, as did she.

She never thought she'd ever see this side of Sephiroth. It's like he was a completely different person. But, she thought, good and evil can't exist without each other. It was like the yin and yang. One side was negative, evil, dark energy, while other side was positive, good, light energy. But then there is a little bit of one half inside the corresponding side. Even though. Tifa could easily be perceived as being the light, she still had a little bit of darkness inside of her; one example being that she willingly committed adultery with her husband's sworn enemy…that's pretty evil if one thought about it. And then there was Sephiroth, who although is thought of to be evil in its purest form, had some good in him; he was willing to care for Tifa and love her no matter what, no matter how much she pushed him away. So the two of them really were perfect together. Tifa couldn't believe she was comparing herself to him this way, and furthermore, she couldn't believe that she was about to compare him to Cloud.

But she did. She thought of the differences between the two men and whose traits she really preferred more. Both men were gorgeous to the extreme. But Cloud was a little more boyish looking that Sephiroth. Sephiroth was much more manly, perhaps this was considering he was a lot older than she and Cloud. Sephiroth was in his early to mid 30's while she was still in her early 20's. He was easily 10-15 years older than her. Sephiroth also had way more confidence and self-esteem than Cloud, who was easily brought down. Sephiroth was stronger and more skilled in the martial arts, he was eloquent and well-mannered, and most of all, put Tifa at the top of his list as his first priority. He called her his princess and referred to her as a goddess. Cloud never did any of that.

Sephiroth also never really left her alone. He gave her privacy and her space, but he never went away for days on end. When he did leave, it was only for a couple of hours, then he returned. Cloud however left and didn't come back sometimes until a week later, he never answered his phone and seldom returned her calls. Sephiroth would never abandon her like that.

Tifa couldn't believe she was thinking the things she thought. But there it was. She turned things around and thought of how well she'd really been treated while in Sephiroth's presence as opposed to how badly she was treated in Cloud's presence. It seemed outrageous to think so, but it was the truth. Cloud never struck her or yelled at her, but he did torture her with false hopes and dreams of one day being truly loved by him. He left her because she wasn't up to his standards, and because she failed to give him children. But Sephiroth…though he did yell at her and cause her some physical harm, she considered it a mistake. Sephiroth apologized again and again for hurting her and sought to redeem himself in her eyes. Since he brought her there, he'd done everything for her, from cooking her meals to delivering letters for her. He'd done it all. She was certain he'd even shave her legs for her if she'd let him! And there was one thing that was truly different that she'd failed to really think about before. Cloud never really wanted to marry her in the first place, but Sephiroth actually wanted her to be his wife. That's all. That's what all this was really about from the start. Sephiroth just wanted her to marry him.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked gently, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"O-oh…I didn't know I was staring." She blushed and looked away from him.

"What's on your mind, little one?"

"Nothing really."

But one thing still haunted her to no end. Her deep attachment. No matter how much she thought about it, no matter how much she tried to shove it aside, one fact still remained – though it was ridiculous to hold onto it – She was still in love with Cloud.

"Don't be that way." Sephiroth cupped her cheek. "There's something wrong in that pretty little head of yours."

"I just…" She looked down. "I just….I want to be able to love you back…"

His eyes lit up. "And?"

"And…I can't…because I still love my husband."

Sephiroth didn't reply, he only brought her closer and pressed his lips to her ear. "I know you're in pain…but I can't let you go…I've waited so long…"

Tifa felt that way about Cloud…she waited her entire life for him and once she had him she couldn't let him go. Now she knew how Cloud felt. She was Cloud now, Sephiroth was her, and Cloud was Aerith. The perfect pair of love-triangles. Tifa wanted Cloud, Sephiroth wanted Tifa, Cloud wanted Aerith, Aerith was dead…so there was a hole. If Aerith wanted Sephiroth…_then_ the circle of turmoil would be truly complete. But everyone knew she loved Zack.

"I know you have..." She continued to play with his hair. "So why does your mother disapprove of us?"

"She always has disapproved of us loving something other than her."

"Us?"

"My brothers, Genesis, Angeal, and I."

"I didn't know you had brothers."

"Yes. And they both had something that they adored aside from Mother." He shifted so he was on his back and she lay on his chest. "Genesis was the first to lose favor with her, as soon as he learned to read he developed a passion for poetry. One poem in particular he was obsessive about was _Loveless_, and he carried the book with him wherever he went…he constantly recited the words and soon had it committed to memory. Then there was Angeal. It wasn't until we were all grown did Angeal find what he loved. It was a young boy that had joined Solider. The boy was placed under Angeal's command and he quite literally took him under his wing. I remember how proudly he spoke of him and how he wished he was the boy's father."

"What was the boy's name?"

"Zackary Fair."

"Zack?"

"The puppy that Angeal loved so dearly is the very same one that accompanied Cloud and myself to Nibelheim."

"That's so strange…it really is a small world."

"Yes."

"So why did she not want them to love anyone other than her?"

"Mother believes that an attachment to such earthly things is the downfall of gods such as us. And so far it's been proven true. Genesis sought make his poem a reality and lost himself along the way…and Angeal was afraid of what he was becoming and feared that Zack would be harmed. So…in a moment of despair, he forced Zack to kill him…So now it's my turn. But I refuse to lose my way, I will become the supreme ruler of the Planet, and you will be my queen."


	18. Ch XVII: Tempest

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Alright people...it's getting down to the wire...OMG! Even _I_ don't know what's going to happen! XD**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XVII: Tempest**

"I almost forgot." Sephiroth picked up his coat from the chair. Reaching into the pocket, he produced a small velvet box. "I bought this for you when I went out yesterday."

Tifa took the box and grazed her fingers over it.

"Think of it what you will, you may return it to me if it's not to your liking."

Tifa looked up at him then back to the box. She opened it and was bedazzled by what she saw. Nestled inside was a beautiful silver ring set with a large blood red ruby surrounded in tiny diamonds. It sparkled like starlight and she felt a sense of excitement rise up in her.

As she took it from its resting place, Sephiroth watched carefully as to what finger she put it on. He was disappointed thought not surprised that she slid it onto the ring finger of her _right_ hand.

"It fits perfectly!" She chirped and put her arms around him in a gratuitous embrace. "Thank you…it's so beautiful."

"I'm glad you enjoy it." He sighed heavily.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, my darling. It's only that I hoped you would accept it as an answer to my marriage proposal."

"An engagement ring?" Tifa lifted her hand.

"As was its intention. But if it pleases you as nothing more than a fashion accessory, then wear it only as such." He forced a false smile and turned to leave for his own chambers.

Tifa felt so terrible when he closed the door behind him. So she'd succeeded in making him feel like hell. She gulped and looked at the ring again. Sitting on the chair in front of the fireplace, she watched the stones shimmer in the light. It was such a beautiful piece. But she shoved the bad feeling away. He did tell her to think of it as she wished, but he secretly hoped she'd think what he thought.

As she turned her attention to the lit fire, she idly began to twist her wedding band.

Sephiroth returned to his room and tossed his coat over the footboard of his bed. After shedding his pants, he paced around with a small amount of fury in his eyes. He should've known that she'd never accept such a gift _that_ way. Not from him. He pushed back his hair and rubbed his forehead. He still tossed in his mind how he'd possibly prove his love for her, as she'd earlier commanded him to do.

"Sephiroth, please don't wrack your mind with such trivial complaints." Jenova groaned as she appeared from the corner.

"Mother…"

"Hush, Sephiroth. Come, lie down and go to sleep." She guided him to the bed and let him get in. She then pulled the sheets up over him. "I would've thought you'd sleep with your lady tonight…the two of you were being quite vocal…"

"I did not want her to see me upset."

"Over that ring?'

"It's a symbol…"

"Whatever it is, you know now where you stand with her."

"I assume so."

"Sleep, Sephiroth; things will be better later." She cooed to him gently and stroked his hair until he finally fell asleep.

Within a couple of hours, Sephiroth felt a silky hand glide up his chest. He stirred only slightly, however when the weight of a body rested in his hips, and his manhood came in contact with soft feminine flesh, Sephiroth's fluttered open and he looked up into the face of none other than his princess.

He tried to speak to her, but her fingers upon his lips silenced him. She grinned at the evidence of his arousal and parted herself just enough for her to slide down in him. He entered her easily and to his great satisfaction.

"I've made my decision." She lowered herself so that she lay upon him and mashed her mouth to his in a passionate kiss…

* * *

><p>Upon emerging the next morning, Sephiroth did not address the issue of the ring with Tifa. He was however pleased that she was still wearing it and decided to let it remain thus. At least she liked it and didn't toss it back at him.<p>

"Good morning, Tifa." He smiled brightly and planted a sweet kiss on the top of her head. She'd beat him to the dining room for breakfast that morning and he was elated to see her. He'd slept well and was relieved that the slight irritation that he'd experience the night before did not follow him into the next morning. Perhaps, he figured, it had to do with their excellent love-making the night before.

Tifa too was happy to see him in such high spirits. "Good morning, Sephiroth." She smiled brightly. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept beautifully, princess, and you?"

"I did too. Though, I'm sorry about the misunderstanding." She lifted her hand that wore the ring.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not. It was only a minor setback; I'm through with letting little things bother me."

"Oh, good."

"As long as you're by my side, Tifa…." He caressed her cheek. She felt warmth rise in her face. He released her and headed for the kitchen.

As he disappeared, Tifa fell against the back of her chair. It was great that he was in such a good mood, however it seemed strange to her and she wondered what could've possibly made him turn around.

He turned several minutes later with a platter full of beautiful golden apple turnovers. He dished her plate and she could have sworn she heard him humming. Sephiroth doesn't hum. He smiled with such a happy glow. Sephiroth doesn't emit a happy glow. She was starting to become worried.

"Sephiroth?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I've never felt better my dear."

"Ok…it's just that you seem a little happier than usual this morning."

"What have I to be glum about, princess?" He put his hand on hers. "I have everything I've ever wanted now that you've come to me at last."

"Huh?" She was confused.

"When you came to my bed last night, I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders…my heart wouldn't have been any warmer than it was when you said that you've chosen me."

"Chosen?" Tifa couldn't have been more confused. "I don't understand, Sephiroth…I never went to your bed last night."

He laughed. "Don't joke, my love. Perhaps you're embarrassed…don't be; your performance was perfect."

"No." Her eyebrows knitted and she turned to him. "Sephiroth…I have no idea what you're talking about. I never visited you after you left my room."

Sephiroth's smile faltered and after looking into her concerned gaze, fell completely. "What do you mean?"

"I mean just that…I never went to your room."

"I'm growing tired of your denial, Tifa." His chipper voice was quieting.

"Sephiroth…"

"Perhaps you've changed your mind?" He looked downward.

"What?"

"If you do not desire me, Tifa then why did you come to me?" The warmth in to room suddenly went cold and his voice was no longer happy and bright. She felt a shadow come over them both and his eyes darkened.

"I came to you the other night because it was cold…a-and…I felt aroused by you?" The statement turned into a question as she shrunk away from him.

"I _know_ that…I'm not talking about _that_ night! I'm talking about last night, you came to me whilst I slept and told me you made your decision!" He stood up. "I know it wasn't a dream, Tifa; I felt your wetness on me and the sheets this morning when I woke."

"Sephiroth…please…" She shuddered under his gaze. "…I did nothing…"

He grabbed her arm and hauled her back up to her bedroom in a fury. She was frightened he'd do something stupid again like he did that first night. But to her relief as soon as he tossed her on her bed, he did not advance on her. She mustered up the courage to look into his face and tore her eyes away again as soon as she'd seen the murderous glare in his mako gaze.

"You dare take me for a fool?" His harsh whisper chilled her to the bone.

"I have done nothing…" She felt the tears threaten to betray her.

"You come to me…and tell me you love me…and now you take it all back?" He stepped back away from her. "You can stay in this room until you've made up your mind. I will not tolerate this, Tifa." He stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. She heard the clicking as the lock tumbled into place.

The room seemed a little darker than usual, Tifa thought. She went to the window and drew back the curtains, finding the sky above her to be dark and cloudy. Fitting, she thought, as a storm was brewing between her and her captor. She stared up at the sky and watched the tempest rolling in. The clouds rushed together in a frenzy and she couldn't help but think about her husband.

"Cloud…" She murmured, "…I need you…" She sank to her knees and rested her forehead on the windowsill.

* * *

><p>Cloud felt his heart ache in his chest. He turned his attention to the darkening sky and couldn't help but think something was completely amiss. His head ached and his body felt heavy.<p>

"We need to land soon." He said, his nervous heightening.

"Hold on a minute." Barret warned. "What about that unholy lookin' storm comin' in?"

"Tifa is more important than getting a little wet." Cloud growled. But Barret's eyes just glimmered and he grinned

"Now _that's_ what I want to hear!"

As soon as they landed in a valley, Cid dragged a crate up from below which held some random supplies in it and made sure everyone got suited up properly for a hike through the mountains. It would be cold and it would be wet.

"There's supposed to be a town on the other side of the mountain, perhaps they can help us out with any info." Cloud said as he looked over a map. He folded it back up and shoved it in his pocket. "Let's go."

The team felt hopeful for Cloud's sudden change of heart and his willingness to go out into a severe thunderstorm to find Tifa, so they followed him over the mountains. Yuffie had questioned as to why they couldn't just fly the Highwind over, but Cid insisted that it was just too risky and he didn't want them to look conspicuous.

"_Oh_ _yeah_…like hiking over a mountain through this weather isn't conspicuous! I really get your reasoning."

"Shut yer mouth, girlie."

It was really more of a hill than a mountain. It didn't take more than a few hours to reach the other side and thankfully there was indeed a small village in the valley below. Even though it was one o'clock in the afternoon, the world was black as night and the town was lit up.

"I'm hungry." Yuffie complained. "Let's eat."

"Alright, you guys go find some food and get warmed up, I'm going to buy some items for our inventory." Cloud suggested and the team went off in search of a warm meal.

Cloud checked his bags and made a mental checklist of what they needed. They had plenty of materia, thanks to Yuffie's thievery, but they were low on potions and such.

"What would you like?" The shop owner asked promptly. Cloud scanned over the goods .

"I'd like 24 potions, 14 ethers, and 18 phoenix downs."

The shopkeeper seemed shocked at the amount of stuff one man needed, but if he could pay up, then he didn't care. Cloud paid the man easily.

"Sir…if you don't mind…may I ask why you need so many potions and phoenix downs?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "My wife's been kidnapped. I'm going to get her back."

"Oh..." The shopkeeper said, raising his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't have any information that could help me…would you?"

"I don't know…depends on what you ask me?"

"I'm looking for a man with long silver hair wearing a long black coat…carries around a sword."

The shopkeeper's eyes flared and his lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Uhh…s-sure…I know a man that fits that description."

"Where is he?"

"To be honest, I really don't know where he lives…but he comes to the village from time to time…" He looked around at the empty shop to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Then he turned back to Cloud. "But just recently there was someone building a big fancy house high in the mountains a couple miles to the west. The only problem is, it's harder than hell to get there on foot, flying there is the best option."

"Flying? So how does this man so easily come to town?"

"I never seen it with my own eyes…but some say this man's got a big black wing that pops out of his back when he wants to fly…don't make any sense to me how it's possible though…if you only got one wing, wouldn't you just fly around in circles?" He shook his head.

"You said it was just a few miles to the west?"

"Yeah…supposed to be a big fancy place he's got up there."

"Thanks." Cloud took his stuff and left.

"You be careful, son." The old man whispered before returning to his business.

Cloud found the team sitting in a bar eating some chicken. He joined them with a growling stomach.

"Did you get some stuff?" Barret asked quietly.

"Yeah, I stocked up on essentials, potions, ether…"

"Pheonix downs?"

"You better believe it."

"Good." He handed him a basket of chicken. "Eat up, Spikey."

It had been a while since Barret had called him that and he was happy that he might actually be winning back their friendship.

"So any info?"

"Yeah, an old man at the shop told me that Sephiroth comes to the village every now and again. He said that even though he's not certain, there's a house to the west that might belong to Sephiroth."

"Any lead is better than nothing." Barret said and they decided to leave out as soon as their stomachs were full.


	19. Ch XVIII: Accumulate

**I do not own Final Fantasy 7. Alright you guys, I'm vacation right now, but I have the urge to try to finish this story. I'm afraid this chapter might be a little rough; I have****n't really had time to sit and continuously type on it like I did in other chapters, so I did it in pieces between work and more work...so I've been dead tired when writing...please forgive me. But hey, we're getting down to it, and it'll all soon come together...I hope. And as always...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong> The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XVIII: Accumulate**

"Alright, guys…game plan." Cloud said as the group moved to a booth to sit more comfortably and so they all could hear.

"What do ya got in mind?" Barret leaned in over the table.

"First we need to decide, do we go in on the Highwind…or do we continue strictly on foot?"

"I think we need to take the Highwind until we get close and climb the rest of the way on foot." Vincent suggested.

"Sounds good to me, how about you guys?"

Everyone agreed and headed back out to the airship.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth lie on his bed. He couldn't believe that she'd do that to him…then again…yes he could. She hated him…she wanted him to suffer…that was it. He rolled over. It was perfectly conceivable that she'd try to torture him like this. <em>After all he'd done for her!<em> It was to be expected. But Sephiroth refused to give up trying. He loved her and wanted to keep her by his side. It was not his intent to be cruel to her, but he had to deliver some sort of punishment for her behavior…didn't he? That's what his mother taught him…he rolled over. It was eating him alive.

"Sephiroth." Jenova sat beside him and place her hand on his hip. "Do not feel troubled, my son."

"Why not?"

"She's just a -"

"_Human_...I know."

Jenova smiled. "This is exactly the kind of behavior that will end you."

"But I want her."

"You've had her."

"I want to keep her."

"She doesn't want to keep _you_."

"Mother, please leave me alone."

"Oh…Sephiroth…you're acting like a child." She stood and looked down at him.

"Isn't that what you want of me?" He sat up and looked at her. "Don't you want me to be a child forever? You coddle me enough."

"I would enjoy it immensely if I could keep you as a baby, Sephiroth…and hold you in my arms and carry you around with me…have you suckle my breast…" She crossed her arms around herself.

Sephiroth's eyebrow's knitted; he leaned back away from her, somewhat disturbed by her words and the rapturous look on her face. He slid off the opposite side of the bed and stepped towards the door of his study.

"Sephiroth…come here." She put out her arms and coaxed him to enter her embrace. "Come to Mother…I'll make everything alright again."

"No." He entered his study and left her standing there, shocked.

Jenova stood there frozen. Ever since that _woman_ came in here, Sephiroth had grown more and more defiant. Sephiroth never used to act like that; he always did whatever she wanted of him without question, believing that it was all for the greater good. But now is seemed he's beginning to think on his own. Straightening herself up, Jenova went to the door and stepped inside.

"Go away!" Sephiroth growled from his desk.

"You're my son!"

"But I'm also a grown man. I don't need you anymore…It's not that I care for you any less…It's just because I'm ready to live my own life…something I tried to do long ago."

"But you failed, Sephiroth…those people that you trusted all lied to you…if you'd never found me you'd never have known the truth."

"And now I do know the truth…and I'm ready to try to trust people again. I'm ready to live my life with the woman I desire."

"I wish it was I whom you desired."

"The love I feel for you and the love I feel for Tifa are equally as strong…though not the same. Please try to understand."

Jenova stiffened up and swallowed hard. She set her jaw and nodded. "I…I see…" She turned around and left.

Sephiroth sighed heavily and held his head in his hands. So he did it…he took the first steps in standing up to his mother.

* * *

><p>Tifa watched out the window as if willing Cloud to magically appear and take her home. She conjured up a beautiful fantasy of Cloud busting in through the front door of the house, putting his hand out to her, and leading her out to his motorcycle, where the two of them speed away and go home. But that was a stupid hope; mainly because there was no way he could possibly drive his motorcycle up to where she was. So she sat back leaned back against the bed and continued to stare out at the mountains.<p>

About an hour passed as she was still watching. As she stared out the window, there was a noise. It was soft and quiet at first, but soon became louder and louder as it drew closer. Soon it sank away again, off in to the distance like it never existed.

Some sort of plane or airship, she assumed, something just passing overhead. She saw nothing from the window, so she guessed it was from the other side of the house.

* * *

><p>Cloud and the team marveled at the sight of the opulent manor perched high on a jutting rock face. It seemed a ridiculous place to put a house. The idea of it was crazy…but Sephiroth was a psychopath…so it made sense.<p>

"So what now?"

"We head up."

The team was prepared to climb up, but Barret was worried about leaving Marlene in the airship by herself, so Cid and Red XIII offered to stay behind to look after her. Pleased with this resolve, though still concerned, Barret left them behind together and followed Cloud up the face of the mountain. Once they left, Cid went to the bridge and readied the airship to make their getaway. Marlene went to her room and Red XIII followed.

"Do you think Tifa will want to come home?" Marlene asked Red XIII as everyone marched forth.

"Why would she want to stay with Sephiroth?" He asked with curiosity.

"Well…it's just that Tifa seemed so sad when she was with Cloud…she was even more unhappy when he broke up with her." The girl explained solemnly.

"What's that got to do with Sephiroth?"

"She muttered in her sleep when we were at the Gold Saucer…she had dreamed that she wished someone would come rescue her. And then Sephiroth came back."

"So you're saying that you think Sephiroth answered her wish."

"Yeah. I think Tifa _wanted _to be kidnapped. I told Cloud about this, and Vincent said the same thing to Cloud later."

"It did seem odd that her house was still in perfect condition after she was taken." Red XIII lay down beside her. "I think you may be on to something."

"The others wouldn't listen though. They just assume that Sephiroth wanted to hurt Tifa."

"And you don't think he did?"

"Mmn-mm." She shook her head negatively. "I think Sephiroth is just lonely. Everyone thinks I'm just a kid who doesn't understand anything…but I _do_."

Red XIII turned his head up to her, listening intently.

"Everybody thinks that Sephiroth is a terrible, bad man…but what if he doesn't mean to be that way? Ever think of that? And nobody wants to take the time to get to know him…maybe he's not as bad as they think… maybe he's just as lonely as anybody else…he doesn't have any friends…because nobody wants to try to be." It was a paradox that only a child could think up.

Red XIII lowered his head. He'd never thought of it like that before. Perhaps the girl was right and Sephiroth only wanted Tifa for companionship. Loneliness was something they both did have in common. But then, it was hard to conceive the notion.

"Marlene…perhaps you're reading too far into this…Sephiroth just isn't the type of man to kidnap his greatest enemy's wife without malignant provocation."

"How would you know? Do you really know Sephiroth, or do you only know what you've heard?" She hung her head. "Are you sure that he even knows that he's done something wrong? Maybe we're all wrong…maybe Sephiroth thinks that we're the bad guys…" She sighed and closed her eyes. "But I'm just a kid."

Red XIII rested his head on her lap and she ruffled his fur. "But you're a very bright kid…and you think outside of the box."

* * *

><p>Cloud grunted harshly as he scaled the wall. It had already begun to rain and the icy water beat down on his face, each drop seemed to slice at his cheeks like narrow blades. He was in the lead to the top. The only thing truly fueling him was his intense anger and the will to take back what was his. His arms and legs ached back with each foot he climbed, but he continued on. The end never seemed to come, but he wouldn't give up. The rain beat at him and blinded him as he looked up to the top. The house was up there; he could see the smoke rising from the chimney and could smell it. They were getting closer, it just <em>seemed<em> like they weren't.

The thunder did not startle him; the lightning did not faze him; the weight of the Buster Sword on his back was nothing. They were only minor annoyances. Before he realized it, his hand reached up to a flat surface. The top….he finally reached the top! More than a hundred feet of sheer rock face…and he finally made it. As he climbed over the edge, he crawled on his hands and knees for a few feet, really realizing the stability of his new position. He stood up on shaky legs and suddenly felt heavier. His sword weighted him down and he fell back to his knees. He was exhausted. The climb was more than he'd thought it would be, but he refused to let it get to him.

Cloud turned around and leaned over the cliff and put his hand out to Barret and helped him over the edge. Next was Vincent with Cait Sith on his back, then Yuffie. As soon as everyone was on level ground, they gained their bearings and turned their attention to the large, imposing house before them. It was truly striking, with four Grecian columns rising against the face of the house. Intricately carved stone framed the windows and door, offering a grand appetizer for the main course that waited inside.

"So this is the place." Cait Sith muttered in awe.

"Yeah…" Cloud set his jaw, he was ready to bust in there and get Tifa.

"So what are we gonna do?" Barret asked after they ran for cover on the porch.

"Get in there and get Tifa. Simple as that." Cloud lifted the sword from his back and leaned over to turn the knob on the door. It opened easily, having been unlocked. Cloud was surprised, though kept his guard up.

The team filed inside as quietly as possible, the main entry was dark. It was still and quiet. Cloud walked along the main isle through the bottom floor, stopping between the two monstrous staircases. He looked up both sides, finding that they ended up at the same point. So he just chose one.

Once they reached top, there were two hallways heading off in opposite directions. Cloud chose one direction, while the rest went off in the other. It was chilly in there and dark as hell. He paused and listened. There was no movement other than his friends and it was a little unnerving. Perhaps there was no one here at all; perhaps the old man was wrong.

He approached the first door that appeared on his left and opened it up. It was a spare bedroom that was unused; all the furniture was covered and the bed was stripped bare. He then turned to the door to his right. This room was different.

It was a library. And a recently used one too. There was no dust to be found along the bookshelves, and the furniture was uncovered. There was a book lying open on the sideboard, when a bookmark nestled loosely between the pages. It was as if it bad been discarded and the owner intended to return briefly. Cloud touched the pages and then closed the book.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth left his room and started down the hall toward Tifa. He'd cooled off by this time and was ready to apologize and talk to her. He hoped he could discover what had transpired the night before and set things right yet again. But as he made his way to her room, movement from the library diverted his attention. Did she manage to unlock the door?<p>

He paused when a familiar, yet irritating scent wafted up to his nose. His hair stood on end and his skin crawled. Impossible! I couldn't be…He stood poised at the door then did a quick about-face and went back to his room to fetch Masamune.

* * *

><p>Barret, Yuffie, Vincent, and Cait Sith wandered along the hallways searching for Tifa. It was quiet and undeniably spooky. The house took on a completely different feel when it was dark and stormy and the power had gone out some point, so there was no electricity and it was cold. The group wandered about trying their best not to make noise. They all had one goal, to find Tifa…however, Vincent had one other thing on his agenda.<p>

Vincent was concerned for Tifa, but he was more interested in finding Sephiroth. He felt a mixture of anxiety and a hint of excitement. He wanted desperately to see him, even if it meant he'd be killed. Sephiroth was the one person Vincent had to look at, at the very least. He felt that his existence would hold no meaning if he didn't. His heart pounded heavily in his chest; a feeling he'd not felt in ages. To be so close to Sephiroth at that moment was eating him alive.

"Vinny? Are you okay?" Yuffie whispered.

"Yes."

"You seem a little on edge."

"And the rest of you don't?"

"It's just that you're usually so calm and collected."

"Shh! Hush up!" Barret rasped. "Let's find Tifa,_ then_ you can flirt."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him and they continued on their way.

Cait Sith meandered toward another staircase heading up into jet darkness.

"I'm going to check this way." He said before ascending the stairs. Barret regarded him briefly before continuing.

Cait Sith climbed one step after the other until he reached the top. The flight didn't seem as tall from the bottom, but he realized how high up he was when he looked down. He shook his head and paid it no mind. Instead he turned toward the single door and peaked under it. Very little light managed to seep in from the single window at the far end of the room, and he was unable to see anything inside. So without further ado, he pried open the heavy wooden door and poked his nose inside. It was dark in there and colder than the rest of the house. He took a closer look around at the walls and found that the room was quite barren.

Barren, except for a lone figure which lay upon the floor. Upon further inspection, he realized it was a woman.

"Tifa?" He muttered under his breath, approaching her slowly. But as he looked at her, he realized it was not Tifa. This woman was of similar build, but one major difference was that her skin was pale and bluish, and her hair was a long river of silver…and she was naked.

Cait Sith took a few steps backward and closed the door behind him.

Jenova grinned from her resting place_. We have visitors, my son._

_I know, Mother._ Sephiroth couldn't be more pissed off.


	20. Ch XIX: Culminate

**I do not own Final Fantasy 7. Ok guys...the final battle is on. Like I noted in my story "Broken", I'm horrible at writing battle sequences. They're just not my specialty. So bear with me on this, hopefully it's entertaining enough. So here it goes...and of course, you know what to do...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XIX: Culminate**

Sephiroth followed Cloud's aura down to the library.

Cloud was just about to finish and head out into another room, but an ominous feeling stopped him and he stood perfectly still. The room seemed to grow darker. Thunder and lightning filled the air around the house and he felt the presence of Sephiroth behind him.

"What are you doing in my house?" Sephiroth asked accusingly as he took a step to his left.

"I've only come to collect what's mine." Cloud turned around to face him. Sephiroth stood in the darkness, though his glowing green eyes were visible to Cloud.

"Nothing in this house belongs to you. All that's here is mine."

"I hardly think Tifa is yours." Cloud stood ready to draw his sword. But Sephiroth continued to speak.

"Waste not, want not, Cloud." Sephiroth smirked at him.

"Give her to me."

"Why do you want her back so badly? After all, you did abandon her, didn't you?" Sephiroth took a few paces toward him.

"Stay away from me." Cloud grasped the hilt of his sword. Sephiroth paused.

"Answer the question, Cloud."

"Shut up! Just give her back!"

"No. Not until I know why."

"Why what?"

"Why you left her, and why you so suddenly want her back." Sephiroth really did want to know. He'd thought of asking Tifa, but Cloud would provide a more accurate answer. He made no move to draw his blade; he didn't even move at all. Cloud remained silent. "Tell me!"

Cloud was about to draw, but he dropped his hand. He looked at the floor and then back at Sephiroth. He was trying to make him break, something that Sephiroth constantly attempted to do. And it was working. As soon as Sephiroth asked the question, Cloud began to think of an answer. Not to give to Sephiroth, but to give himself. He'd been trying to think of a clear, real reason for all of this, though all the reasons he'd given himself and to his friends were nothing but excuses. He delved deep into his own mind to find what was true.

"You killed Aerith…" He whispered. He knew not that he'd said it aloud until Sephiroth responded.

"I did…but what does she have to do with this?"

Cloud snapped his eyes up to him. He didn't even realize he'd been staring at the floor.

"She was everything that I'd ever wanted…and you took her away…"

"And?"

"Tifa was there for me…I knew she always would be…"

"And so you married her."

"Because I knew she would be there."

"You took her for granted."

"Yeah."

"And you left…"

"Because I couldn't pretend with her anymore. I wanted Aerith back."

"But if it's Aerith you want, then why are you after Tifa?"

"I…I…um…" Cloud didn't want to admit what he was really thinking. "…because…"

"Stop fooling yourself, Cloud…confess it…"

"I don't want Tifa to be with anyone else." He finally said it. He didn't want to be with Tifa…and yet, he didn't want anyone else to have her. It was insanely selfish and bastardly of him. But to be honest, Cloud didn't care; he was the jealous one. He always felt possessive of her even before they got married. He wanted both women. Cloud battled out his feelings in his mind. He didn't want Tifa when she was there and available to him, but the moment he knew he couldn't have her, he suddenly wanted her back. The only thing that he was sure of was that when Aerith was alive, he wanted both women on his arm. But as soon as she died, she was the only one he could think of. But what if it was Tifa that had been killed? Would he feel the same way? It made no sense, even to himself.

"So what would you do if I gave her back to you?" Sephiroth felt a tightness in his chest.

"I'd…I would…" Cloud shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. "I'm not about to tell _you!_" He grabbed his sword from his back and attacked Sephiroth with a powerful swing.

Sephiroth just leapt out of the way without batting an eye. He produced Masamune from its resting place and easily swept away another attack. Then another and another. For ten whole minutes they swatted at each other.

"Is this really the best you can do?" Sephiroth grinned evilly. "You aren't angry enough, Cloud. I don't believe you really care to get Tifa back."

"Piss off!" He attacked him once more. But Sephiroth just ducked and backed away.

"You still haven't inquired as to why I took her." He wasn't even out of breath.

Cloud was already panting and showing signs of exertion.

"I intend to make her my queen. She's beautiful, Cloud…I've always thought so…and there's so much more to her than that. She's resilient, powerful, has a talent for battle…among other things."

"What the hell do you mean?" Cloud leaned against his sword and Sephiroth lowered his. How long had they been at this game now? And neither of them touched each other. Sephiroth wanted to kill Cloud, though he held back for two reasons. Reason number one being that he didn't wish to ruin Tifa's lovely library, and reason number two being Tifa herself. He didn't want to do anything to hurt her, and killing Cloud would do just that. So he didn't even so much as scratch him…not yet at least.

"You mean you haven't noticed? She's far more than just a pretty face, boy."

"Fuck you, Sephiroth!"

"She's done that too."

"What?" Cloud was taken aback. "How do you mean?"

"I mean just that, Cloud. She's fucked me." Sephiroth wasn't the type of man to swear like that, and to hear it come from his mouth made Cloud's stomach turn. Sephiroth grabbed Cloud's shirt and pulled him up to face him. "…And she _liked_ it…"

"N-no…that's a lie…"

"Why don't you ask her yourself? I doubt she'd lie." Sephiroth let him go. "Ohh…did she moan ever so loudly…I even made her scream my name as I pleased her."

"Y-you…h-had _sex_…with my wife?"

Cloud stumbled backward a few steps, but took on a firm grip on his sword and thought back to his earlier ideas of Tifa and Sephiroth together. The thought of it all being true filled him with rage; fire was burning deep inside of him and Sephiroth grinned when he saw it in his eyes. Cloud was furious now. He grabbed the sword with both hands and with a scream of rage, swung it up to meet Sephiroth's Masamune.

* * *

><p>Barret, Vincent, and Yuffie jumped at the sound of Cloud's voice ringing through the house. They both looked back down the hall and saw nothing, but they could hear the sound of grunts and cries, and the heavy metallic noise of swords clashing.<p>

"Sephiroth…" Vincent turned back and headed straight for the noise. "Cloud…do not kill him!"

"We gotta find Tifa!" Barret urged Yuffie, and they both started banging on the doors and called out to her, regardless if Sephiroth heard them.

"Tifa! Tifa!" Came a voice from the hallway.

Tifa turned and listened. At first she thought it was Sephiroth, but it wasn't. The voice was different, completely different. She ran for the door and tried to turn the knob, but it was locked. There was no away of unlocking it from the inside.

"Tifa!" The sound of a female voice resounded down the hall.

Tifa beat at her door. "I'm in here!" She pounded as hard as she could. "I'm locked in my room!"

Barret came to her door and tried the knob but to no avail. "I'm here for you, Tifa!"

"Barret?" She smiled and began to cry tears of joy. "Oh, Barret! Get me out!"

"Get away from the door!" Barret warned her and she ran back to her bed. Barret aimed his gun-arm at her door and blasted at the locks. The door swung open and he ran inside to get her.

Tifa instinctively ran into his arms and hugged him close.

"Oh, Barret…" Tifa continued to cry. "I was so scared that you guys wouldn't come."

"We're here now, Tifa. You're safe." He picked her up and carried her to the hall where Yuffie was waiting. Cait Sith joined them momentarily.

"You found her!" He howled jovially.

Yuffie was so happy to see Tifa, she snatched her from Barret's grasp and hugged her tight.

"Oh, Tifa! I was so worried about you!"

The two women hugged close. "I'm sorry, Yuffie, about Costa Del Sol…"

"Don't worry about it." Yuffie smiled and they hugged again. "We're still friends to the end."

"That's all well and touching, ladies." Cait Sith said. "But we need to get out of here!"

They nodded and the group raced down the hallway. Yuffie called Cid on the phone and told him to meet them out front.

As they ran toward the stairs, Tifa saw Cloud fighting Sephiroth. Her heart skipped a beat. Sephiroth and Cloud had already taken their battle downstairs and were having it out in the grand foyer, therefore blocking their way out to the front. Vincent was watching from the staircase. His gaze was riveted to the battle and he seemed mesmerized by the flashes of light emitted every time their blades sliced along each other. Tifa wasn't sure what he was thinking, why he didn't help Cloud.

"Vincent." She touched his shoulder and he turned his eyes up to her.

"Oh, good…you're safe."

"Why aren't you helping Cloud?"

"This is their battle, Tifa. He must fight on his own."

"Of course you'd say that."

"I have my reasons, Tifa." He looked around at their situation. "If you go out the back door, you can come around to the front from the outside."

"Thanks…" She waved everyone to follow her and pointed toward the back door as they hit the landing.

But as she turned to look at her men, they both fought mercilessly, trying to kill each other. She knew that one or the other would probably be finished, and she closed her eyes and turned away, unwilling to witness who turned out victorious. She ran toward the back door and left the chaos behind her. She heard the roar of the Highwind as it rose from the valley below to meet them.

Vincent returned to the gallery above the stairs and watched from the most perfect vantage point. He knew as well that one or the other of them would most likely be killed and he watched intently to discover the victor. He wanted to get Sephiroth out of the fight; felt the urge to leap in and save him, but he knew they had to do this. But as he kept his focus on them, a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind. He leaned backward in surprise, then turned in the embrace to find Jenova smiling at him. He shoved her off and took a few steps back.

"Jenova."

"Vincent."

She smiled with a malevolent glow. "I see you've come for my son."

"_Your_ son?"


	21. Ch XX: Revelation

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Alright, so we're getting along here, final fight's about over and Tifa is rescued...but what about Vincent's little secret he's keepin'...OMG! REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XX: Revelation**

"You've got some nerve, Vincent." Jenova reached out and twirled a lock of his dark hair between her fingers. "Coming in here, and trying to take my baby away."

"How would you know what I've come for?" Vincent reached for his gun under his cloak. "And I hardly think Sephiroth is a baby."

"A mother's child is always her baby, no matter how big and strong he gets."

"Stop with that mother and son nonsense, Jenova. You're no mother, and if you were I'd feel sorry for your children."

Jenova glared darkly at him. She then smirked and turned away. "Sephiroth doesn't think so…"

"He knows not the true love of a mother." Vincent snarled.

"Nor of a _father_." She retorted.

"You're running my patience thin, Jenova."

"Then allow me to snap it…Vincent Valentine…Sephiroth's good-for-nothing father!"

Vincent drew his gun from its hiding place under his cloak. Before Jenova could react, he shot her three times in the chest, annihilating her little black heart.

The gunfire halted the battle between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked up at the gallery where Vincent was standing, a gaping hole in Jenova's chest. Cloud stole a glance at Sephiroth, whose face was alight with extreme terror. He'd never seen him like that before; it was a spectacle.

She fell backward upon the floor, bleeding profusely though still alive. Vincent stood over her, gazing down at her face. She grinned up at him, a line of blood running from her mouth.

"Did you…really…think…that would kill me?" She attempted a dark laugh, though she choked on her blood and ended up coughing instead. "I've survived the loss of…my own _head_…Vincent…"

Vincent lifted the gun so that it was aligned with her forehead and without a word, pulled the trigger. He was about to check if she was dead but Sephiroth leapt up onto the gallery and pushed Vincent over, sending his gun spinning off down the hallway. Sephiroth completely forgot about Cloud. Vincent attacked his mother, so now Vincent had to pay. Sephiroth had unconsciously dropped Masamune when he jumped up, so now he and Vincent had nothing to fight with except their fists.

Cloud rushed up to lend Vincent a hand, but he refused the offer.

"Just run! Leave him to me!" Vincent yelled as he wrestled with Sephiroth. Cloud just nodded and ran out the door to meet the team on the Highwind.

The battle between Vincent and Sephiroth was harsh, though brief. Both men were equally as strong and equally as fast, and soon they both grew weary of a wrestling match with no winner. Sephiroth finally ended it by tossing Vincent down the stairs, though he caught the banister and pulled himself back up.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth knelt over Jenova and lifted her into his arms. She was still alive, though only just. Vincent remained silent but watched as he cradled her. His cold heart thawed just a little at the sight, but he knew he had to tell Sephiroth the real truth. Sephiroth petted Jenova's hair and cooed to her quietly, hoping she'd quickly recover just as she did from her decapitation. But her life was fading and the blood bubbling up in the back of her throat kept her from talking. Within seconds, Jenova died.

"She can survive without one or the other…but with the loss of both her heart and brain, she'd die." Vincent said from the landing.

Sephiroth turned halfway and growled at him. "You…killed my mother…" Sephiroth was ready to seek his revenge. "The one person in the entire world…that really loved me…is dead."

"No, Sephiroth. Please listen to me. Jenova was not your mother." Vincent could see the hellfire raging in his eyes and sought to cool it.

Sephiroth did pause, though was seconds away from ripping him apart. "Not my mother?"

"Yes…I know it's difficult to understand…But she's been feeding you lies and poisoning your mind ever since you found her." He dared approach him closer.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were a child, they told you your mother's name was Jenova and that she died giving birth to you. And that Hojo was your father."

"That's what they told me." Sephiroth relaxed slightly, intrigued by what Vincent was getting at.

"Nothing of that is true, Sephiroth." Vincent put his hands out to Sephiroth and showed him that he meant him no harm. "I'm here, to tell you what's real. And nothing that creature there told you was true. She fed you just as many lies as Hojo did. Both of them where just using you for their own advantage."

Sephiroth stood down. He listened fervently, though skeptical.

"Sephiroth, if it had been up to me you would have had a normal life…you would have gone to school with all the other children, and yes…it's quite possible that by now you'd be married with a family of your own…and we'd all be happy."

"Who are _you_ to decide how my life would be?"

"I'm your father, Sephiroth… and its my duty to care for you."

Sephiroth stood dumbfounded. That couldn't be true, could it? He teetered a little and looked down at the body on the floor. "A-and my mother?"

"Your mother was Hojo's wife, Lucrecia."

Lucrecia…she was the lady scientist that looked after him when he was little. Sephiroth swallowed hard. No wonder she treated him so well, no wonder she constantly pampered him and spoiled him. But then she disappeared.

"Where did she go? Why did she leave me?" He looked back up at Vincent. "Did I do something wrong?" he felt panic rise up in his chest as he remembered when Professor Gast broke the news to him that Lucrecia wasn't coming back. He felt just as he did that day, questioning the loss of the only woman that treated him like a person.

"No, Sephiroth…you did nothing wrong." Vincent closed the distance between them and took hold of his shoulders.

He looked into the eyes of his only child and saw in them all the pain, anger, hate, and despair that had been poured into his heart. Hojo had made his life a living hell, submitting a young boy to torturous experiments for the sake of his research for his own pleasure. Hojo did it because he was angry at Lurcecia for having an affair with Vincent, and punishing the lovers wasn't enough…he had to take out his anger and malice upon an innocent boy, unwittingly creating a monster in the process.

"Hojo murdered your mother...and he did this to me…" Vincent lifted his claw-like hand. "I used to be a Turk, that's how Lucrecia and I met. We fell in love, made love, and then you were born sometime later."

"And my brothers?"

"Not really your brothers…you all shared Jenova's cells which were implanted in you while you all were still in the womb, that's the only thing that makes you brothers. You all have different parents and different lives…but you were all tricked into believing otherwise."

"So…everything…even about my brothers who I grew up with…it's all a lie."

"Yes. But listen, Sephiroth, I'm putting it right. I hoped I'd be able to tell you without having to kill her." He motioned to Jenova. "But it's finished now. Now you're your truly and completely free to do as you wish and no one can tell you otherwise. But rest assured knowing that someone on this miserable planet loves you…and that someone is me. You're my only child, Sephiroth…and I'm so sorry that I was never there, I'm so sorry that madman did those horrible things to you. I know you're a man now and I can never make up for your stolen childhood, but please let me try to make your future better."

Sephiroth felt like his head was going to explode. At this point, anything could be true and anything could be false. But he didn't care, here was a man who claimed to be his father and was willing to try to make his horrific life better. He'd never really known what it was like to have a dad, and Vincent was unable to know the joys of fatherhood. So they both had something to look forward to.

"And what about Tifa?"

"Why did you take her?"

Sephiroth looked down at the floor. "Because I love her. I want her to be mine…I used to watch her and Cloud through the window of Seventh Heaven. I watched him pretend to love her and it sickened me. And when he left her, though we were miles apart, I felt her pain…and I wanted to make it all go away and put a smile back on her face." Sephiroth clutched at his heart with one hand and his head with the other.

"That's true love." Vincent smirked. He closed his eyes and relaxed his vocal cords. He'd officially spoken too much for his throat to handle, as he didn't speak much in the first place. "Well, it's time to go. We got who we came for. Would you like to come?"

"No…I'll stay here." Sephiroth looked down at Jenova.

"Shall I stay with you?"

"Better not. Not that I don't appreciate it…but I need time alone to think…and to bury her."

Vincent went to the library and returned with a pen and paper, writing his cell phone number for Sephiroth.

"If you ever need me for anything at all. You call this number…and I'll be here for you."

Sephiroth took the paper and closed his fingers tightly around it.

"Alright, I will."

"Good." Vincent turned to leave. "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye…father…" Sephiroth was left alone in the darkness.

* * *

><p>Whilst Vincent had been trying to get through to Sephiroth, Cloud had run out to meet the Highwind as Cid hovered just low enough to let him climb aboard.<p>

Cloud rushed inside in a hurry to see Tifa. His heart hammered within his chest without mercy and he was more than ready to take her in his arms. As soon as he entered the bridge where they were gathered, Tifa strode right up to him. Cloud was about to take her close, but she reared back and slapped him, the rainwater coating his face make the strike sting like hell.

Cloud stumbled backward, but caught himself before he fell. He was not at all surprised that she reacted that way though, after what he'd done to her.

Fresh tears rolled down Tifa cheeks as she looked into the face of her beloved. Her eyes were pleading, hurt, and a little angry.

"C-cloud…" She sobbed, "…what the hell?" She didn't know what else to say to him. She shut her eyes and turned away from him. "Y-you left me…"

"I'm here _now_." A pathetic reply.

"You shouldn't have left in the first place." She felt more vulnerable now than she ever did.

"Tifa…can we talk about this privately?" Cloud cautiously took her arm and led her down to his cabin.

The team watched after them wordlessly, making their own silent judgments.

Tifa sniffled and sit down on the bed as Cloud closed the door behind him. He sat down beside her and they both remained quiet, staring at the floor for a while.

"Why are you crying, Tifa?" Cloud asked gently as he turned sideways to look at her.

"I don – I don't know." She sobbed and sniffed.

"I hate it when you cry." He pushed her hair behind her ear. "I like to see you smile."

"Then you shouldn't have left me...and what now? Why did you come for me?"

"When Yuffie told me that Sephiroth had you I knew I made a mistake, so I had to come save you."

"That's not the whole truth though…is it?" She wiped her nose and sniffled some more.

"It is what it is, Tifa…I did you wrong and I'm sorry." He thought he too would begin to cry.

"Sorry…that's such an overused word…and you say it so often…"

"I truly am."

"So what now? Are you going to leave me again?"

"Only if you want me to…but I'll stay beside you if you want." He stroked her back softly. Then Sephiroth's words seeped back into his memory and he closed his eyes against the rage he felt flare up again, but he suppressed it and looked back at her. "What _do_ you want, Tifa?"

"Huh?" She cast her eyes to his face.

"Sephiroth told me something that I didn't like…and I wonder if I did the right thing by you by bringing home."

"What did he say?"

"He told me that…that…the two of you…" He clenched his teeth and fisted his hand. He was so pissed off! But he bit back the anger once more and relaxed. "He said…that the two of you had sex…a-and that you…really enjoyed him." He kept his cool the best he could. "Is that true?"

Tifa was flabbergasted. This forced her to stop crying immediately and she sat there with a shocked expression. She felt all the blood drain from her face and she felt so cold. She trembled beneath Cloud's touch and bit her tongue.

Cloud took her silence as an affirmative.

"I see…so he was good…" His mind became blank except for the image of Tifa beneath Sephiroth.

Tifa struggled for words; she had no idea what to say to him.

"You…slept with my worst enemy…" Cloud stood up and buried his face in his hands. He took a few steps forward like that and dropped his arms. He didn't know what to think next. "You…really did it…didn't you?"

Tifa just stared at him. The shocked look had become a guilty look and she nodded. "Y-yes…I did…"

"And you liked it?" He turned around, his arms crossed.

Tifa didn't say anything.

"_Answer me!_" He shouted, making Tifa jump.

As soon as she regained her composure, she stood up so she'd be level with him.

"Yes, Cloud! I did do it! I did and I liked it…no…I _loved_ it!"

Cloud's eyes widened at her and he felt his whole world fall apart. He closed his eyes and released a scream stifled by clenched teeth.

"What's it to you anyway, Cloud?" Tifa prodded. "You're the one who left me…and he came to give me another life…" She was about to break down again.

"Tifa…why? Do you love him?" A rouge tear streaked down his cheek.

"I-I don't know, Cloud…it was a spur of the moment thing…I wasn't thinking right…I-I just…needed _something_… I had the urge…and you weren't there so…w-what the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Tifa…" Cloud took her in his arms and they both cried together. "He didn't hurt you at all, did he?"

"N-no…not really…he just scared me sometimes." She buried her face in his chest.

"Oh, Tifa…it's alright now…I won't leave you alone again…I'll be better to you, I promise. I love you."

Tifa turned her head up to him.

"R-really?"

"Yes…I swear, I'll be a better husband…"

"D-do you forgive me for cheating on you?" She mewed quietly.

He kissed her forehead in reply.


	22. Ch XXI:Aftermath

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. And some of you guys thought this was over...NEVER FEAR THE WRITER IS HERE! Did you guys really think it would end like that? And it's still not over...we got a little further to go. REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XXI: Aftermath**

Sephiroth buried Jenova in the backyard under a bush that bloomed black roses. It was only suiting, he supposed. He wanted to give her a headstone, but he didn't know what to put on it…so he took his sword in hand and drove it into the ground at the head of the grave to mark it. He didn't think he'd need that sword anymore. It was useless now, he had nothing left to fight for and his idea of becoming a god was impossible considering he really was just a human with extraordinary abilities. So he left his weapon behind with the woman who'd claimed for years to be his mother. He dragged his feet back into the house and shed his armor, tossing it in the closet and refusing to look at it again. He then went to Tifa's bedroom and lay down on her bed, breathing in her scent from the pillows.

The house was a wreck and he really needed to clean up. But he just didn't feel like it. He felt like he no longer had a purpose and the woman he loved was gone. Vincent had broken some hard news to him and he still couldn't quite swallow it. He felt it again, the moisture that leaked from his eyes and the tightening of his chest and throat. He buried his face in the pillows and cried quietly.

* * *

><p>Tifa was awash with relief when she returned to find her house just as she'd left it and went upstairs to change into some fresh clothes. She was more than ready for things to get back to normal and put everything that had happened in the last month behind her. Cloud was ready too. He promised to stay with Tifa and set things right once more. So they got to work right away.<p>

The very next day, Cloud went back to work making deliveries around town, and that night, Tifa opened the bar. Her patrons were pleased to see her back, having been afraid that she'd closed down for good. But she just brushed it off and assured them that she just took a nice long vacation.

* * *

><p>The team returned to their lives and everyone refused to even talk about anything that happened. But as soon as Barret got home, he sent Marlene out to fetch the mail. Most of it was junk, but there was one personal letter in amongst it.<p>

It was the letter Tifa had written to him. His eyebrows knitted and he opened it, reading that she was safe and not to worry about her. At first he thought that Sephiroth may have forced her to write it. But it was too fluid, too calm. She'd written the letter of her own accord and chose what to put in its contents. Barret gulped.

"Well…I'll be…" He looked at Marlene. "Baby girl, I think you mighta' been right."

"About what, Daddy?"

He handed her the letter. "I don't think Tifa was really too worried about gettin' rescued."

"I told you so." Marlene bragged lightly.

* * *

><p>"Tifa…" Cloud supported the back of her head on his arm. "…you really are so beautiful…" He slid himself into her and kissed her deeply. It was good to be together again. He was gentle with her like always, and knew how to please her, just the way she liked it.<p>

Their lovemaking was just the same, Tifa felt no different. She enjoyed herself just the same, but she couldn't help but think about Sephiroth. Sex with Sephiroth was invigorating, exciting, delicious…He was fabulous at foreplay and his size – once she got used to it – was incredible. Cloud was well endowed, but he felt so small now that she'd experienced someone larger.

Cloud's grunts of pleasure were also kind of annoying to her; he sounded like a little boy compared to Sephiroth's deep purr. She also didn't care much for him burying his eyes in her neck, like he's trying to hide from her; Sephiroth instead gazed into her eyes and tried to connect to her upon a higher level.

Tifa cursed herself for preferring Sephiroth over her own husband, but it was unavoidable. He was better in bed than Cloud. And as she became lost in her thoughts, she realized that Cloud had finished up and she'd not received an orgasm…another thing Cloud lacked, stamina…Sephiroth was able to satisfy her thoroughly before letting himself go.

So…she was back to her old life…back to an eternity of boring sex. Lovely. But she smiled and rolled over onto Cloud's chest and kissed his breast, happy to be back in the arms of the man she loved regardless.

"I love you, Tifa." Cloud said, he caressed her hair and held her tightly.

"I love you too, Cloud." She felt so good to hear him say that sincerely.

"Tifa…I was thinking…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking that maybe we should get married again…you know, renew our vows."

Tifa's heart swelled, but she thought better of it.

"No…I think it would be better if we didn't. It's not that I don't want to, I just think it'll be better for us to just make things better between us without the prompt of marriage. I mean…we're already married, right?"

"Yeah…" Cloud looked at her strangely. She seemed like she had something heavy on her mind. "Tifa…are you alright?"

"Yeah…why?"

"It just seems like you're not exactly sure about us…"

"What?" She rolled her eyes playfully. "I love you, Cloud…just know that." She rolled over and frowned. It was true…she felt strange about being with Cloud now.

Cloud had come through though; he kept his promise to be a better husband and paid more attention to Tifa. She really couldn't figure out why, but she still felt disconnected from Cloud. Tifa felt like the tables had turned and now she was the one pretending. She didn't get it at all.

She tried to shut Sephiroth out of her mind and focus on Cloud. But he kept creeping in. The thoughts of him heightened all the more when she realized that she missed her period.

She'd not told Cloud yet, and hoped that she was just late, but a whole week passed and it still didn't come. So she bought a pregnancy test. It was crazy to think that she'd tested before with high hopes that she was pregnant, but now she was dreading the results. Tifa trembled with anticipation as she watched for the + or the –.

Her face well when a small blue + appeared on the screen. She was pregnant. But by whom? She'd been with Cloud recently, so perhaps he was the. She tossed the test in the trash and went to see Cloud. She felt so nervous going to talk to him. But she felt stupid considering she'd done it before. But still, the idea of who the father might be ate away at her.

"Cloud?" She opened the door to his office and stepped inside on shaky legs.

He looked up from his desk and smiled, "What's the matter, honey?"

"Are you really busy?"

"I'm never too busy for you." He got up and went around to meet her. "So what's up?"

"Well…Cloud...um…our prayers have been answered…"

"What?"

"I-I um…I'm….I'm pregnant."

Cloud's smile faltered for a moment, he gulped and looked down at her belly. He then placed a hand on her and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"T-that's great, sweetie." He caressed her cheek and returned to his desk to finish his paperwork.

"Well…I'm going to do the dishes." She turned around and closed the door behind her.

Cloud just stared at the papers on his desk. He wasn't really seeing them, just spacing off. Why didn't he feel happy or excited? He'd been hoping she'd have a baby for ages, and now they had another chance. He rested his forehead against his hand. Perhaps maybe, they tried too hard and too fast to get back to normal. Maybe Cloud really did the wrong thing by not getting a divorce. To be honest he'd thought of filing when they got back, especially after she confessed to cuckolding him. Now the thought reentered his mind. That's not his baby she was carrying, he was certain of it…and he wanted no part of Sephiroth in his house. So what was he to do? He tried his best to think of a good solution, but he could think of nothing. The only thing that crept back into mind was Aerith…his one true love…he wanted her back. He knew she was strong enough that she'd never betray him like that. He shook her from his mind. No! He made a promise to Tifa and he wanted to keep it…or did he just want to leave again? He felt the same wall building up between them that had been there before.

Tifa washed the dishes, trying to take her mind off of Cloud and Sephiroth. She suddenly felt the "old" life truly coming back. That wall had appeared the moment she said she was pregnant, and she could see the look in Cloud's eyes that it was all about to come down soon. Then she thought again about Sephiroth, and the life that he was trying to give her that she constantly threw back in his face. She thought about his kindnesses, the lovely home, the clothes, the jewelry, the expensive food…everything he gave her to make her feel more comfortable. Cloud never did any of that. He never even tried to make her breakfast or dinner, he never gave her gifts, or anything like that. Sephiroth was truly a prince. And she slowly found herself wishing she was his princess.

As she placed the dishes in the drain board and turned to go talk to Cloud, he was already coming down the stairs with a grave look on his face.

"Tifa."

"Yes?"

"We need to talk."

"I know."

* * *

><p>Sephiroth stood at the window, trying to think of what to do next. He was more miserable now than he'd been in his entire life. He looked down at the sheer drop from that particular window. If he fell he'd plummet 300 feet to his doom. He was human wasn't he? That meant that he was mortal and he could die. So…shouldn't he? He stood up on the ledge and looked down at certain death.<p>

He didn't really have anything to live for anymore. The only person in the whole world that cared for him at all was Vincent, but that's not who he wished cared. All this thoughts rested on _her_. His princess. He needed to her there, he needed to her to grab his hand and pull him back over the precipice. But she wasn't and he felt no regard for his life.

He was about to jump, but something stopped him. It was a feeling like none other he'd felt before. A nagging in his gut that made him ache. He jumped down off the casement and went to his bedroom. He collapsed on the bed with horrible stomachache. But it wasn't a sickly feeling, it was a feeling of anxiety. He shut his eyes and gnashed his teeth together.

"Oh…damn it…I need a drink…"

Sephiroth tossed his coat over his shoulders and went to the window facing the village. He opened his wing and leapt forth.

* * *

><p>Tifa and Cloud sat together quietly, thinking about what had been said.<p>

They'd talked about their feelings for each other, as well their thoughts about their past, present, and their future. And neither of them could really grasp a future…at least not together. Cloud was still mourning the loss of Aerith; Tifa was thinking of Sephiroth.

"So it's decided, huh?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Yes…I think it would be good idea."

"Yeah…" Cloud grasped her hand and squeezed her fingers gently. "You know I'll always be there to help you if you need me.

"I know. The same here." She smirked and giggled despairingly.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing…it's just that the first time you left you me it was because I couldn't get pregnant. Now you're leaving me because I am." She batted her eyes at the impending tears.

"Yeah, it seems crazy doesn't it?"

"Mm-hm." She bit her lip. "But it's _his_ baby…so you don't want to even try to love it."

"That man killed Aerith."

"And you love her more than me."

"It's time for me to go now."

"Yeah."

They both got up and embraced tightly. "I'll always care for you, Tifa. You can call me anytime you need to talk."

"Will you answer?"

"I will always answer for you."

They kissed one last time as husband and wife.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth strode through the village with one thing on his mind: to get drunk…to get really drunk…to get so drunk he had to sleep in the bar because he couldn't fly right…to get so drunk, he drank himself sober!<p>

The people watched him as he passed by; nobody really knew who he was. Though the rumors stated that he was some divine being, others said that he was the lord and master over their land, some said that he was some warrior who fell out of grace with his superiors. Who or whatever he was, they both feared and admired him. It was rare when he'd visit their town, and now he was there and ready to really mingle with them for the first time.

As soon as Sephiroth entered the bar, the buzzing of voices turned to eerie silence. Everyone turned their attention to him. He was extremely conspicuous; sticking out like a sore thumb. He nodded to everyone and went to the bar. Taking a seat, he waved the nervous bartender over and ordered the strongest thing he had.

There were quiet whispers around him, but he paid no attention. There was an old man sitting in the stool beside him and recognized his look.

"H-hey…young man."

Sephiroth turned toward him and raised eyebrows.

"You wouldn't be...uh the owner of that fancy house up on the mountain would you?"

"I am."

The old man grinned. "Oh…well, did that young man end up finding you?"

"You must mean Cloud." Sephiroth's blood began to boil.

"Cloud?"

"Yes, Cloud; a little bastard in his mid twenties with a mass of blonde hair that looks like the ass-end of a chocobo."

"That be him."

"How'd you meet him?"

"Well…uh…he came into my shop saying that he was looking for you. He said that you kidnapped his wife."

Sephiroth started laughing; he took a swig of his drink and grimaced at the burn as it ran down his throat. "Yes…I did…I took her for myself. Did he also tell you that he had abandoned her and left her for the sake of a dead woman before I took her?"

"Uhh….n-no." The old man looked surprised.

"Well, he did. And she wished to be taken from her home, so I gave her a better home. Then he decided he wanted her back."

"I thought that kid sounded like an arrogant bastard."

"Hmm." Sephiroth took another drink. "You know, old man…you're not too bad."

"You don't seem like such a dishonorable man yourself. What's your name?"

"My name is Sephiroth."

"Nice to meet ya, my name's Charlie."

They shook hands and Charlie offered to buy him another drink.

For the next several hours, Sephiroth chilled and drank up a storm with Charlie. He told him his war stories and a few inside jokes from SOLDIER. Charlie shared a few stories himself. Soon the nervous whispers that had filled the bar returned to the jovial buzz and Sephiroth was treated like one of the regular guys.

When midnight rolled around, Sephiroth decided it was time to go. He felt jittery and loopy, and he waved goodbye to all the guys he met that evening and stumbled out into the empty street with Charlie, spouting something about being the King of the World and other stupid things.


	23. Ch XXII: Seraphim

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Alright peeps...still a little further to go and we're done. Now we're winding down and getting to it. I hope you enjoy...REVIEWS!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XXII: Seraphim**

So was the start of another life. Cloud had escaped yet again, only this time Tifa was kind of relieved to see him go. It was strange. She felt kind of good…liberated. But her heart nagged at her as did her gut. She was lonely and sad. But the prospect of having a baby would fill the void. Elmyra had told her that when she adopted Aerith, the emptiness of losing her husband was countered by gaining a daughter. Tifa hoped that this would be true for her. She rubbed her steadily growing belly. She was already five months along and was visited often by her friends.

Cloud called her often, which was a shocker, to see how she was doing. She assured him that she was fine especially after Yuffie moved in with her. She saw him only a couple of times while they were finalizing their divorce and when it was all said and done, he ran off again.

Yuffie did all she could to keep Tifa happy through all the months of her pregnancy, as a happy mother makes for a happy baby.

It was a crazy moment when Tifa finally went into labor.

She and Yuffie were drinking non-alcoholic drinks at her bar, high on good feelings and laughter. They'd been telling hilarious stories and jokes about the good old days when Tifa's water broke. She was laughing hysterically when she felt the liquid rush down her leg.

"Oh my god…Yuffie…I-I think I just peed." She giggled.

"Well, it's your bar not mine."

"C-come on, help me clean this up."

"No way! That's your mess!"

"Whatever." She was still laughing when she got the mop. But as she returned to wipe up the floor, she felt her first contraction. She gasped in pain and leaned against the counter.

"Oh my god, Tifa! Are you alright?" Yuffie jumped over the counter and grabbed her shoulders.

"I-I don't think that's pee…Yuffie…I think my water broke…" She grimaced and lowered herself to the floor as another contraction took her.

"What do I do, what do I do?" Yuffie started panicking. "I'll call a hospital!"

"No! I want to do this here…I want to have the baby at home."

Long minutes passed and Yuffie kept trying to convince her to go to the hospital. Tifa refused again and again, saying that she didn't want to be hooked to tubes and monitors, and that she was afraid her baby would be taken away if it showed any resemblance to Sephiroth. So she insisted that she stay at home. Yuffie reluctantly complied and grabbed some pillows and blankets to try to make her more comfortable.

"Thank you, Yuffie."

"You're welcome, Tifa. I just hope this is the right thing to do."

"I'll be alright."

It hadn't been long since her first labor pains and Tifa felt the stretching of her body to allow the passing.

"Oh…Yuffie…this is it!" She screamed and clenched her teeth, trying to bite back the pain. But it was just too intense. Tifa grabbed her legs and dug her nails into her own flesh. She didn't know which hurt worse.

Yuffie tried to remain calm and sat waiting to catch the baby as it slid from Tifa. There much blood and fluid spilling everywhere, but she tried to keep her cool and finally there it was. She grasped the head and gently pulled as Tifa pushed. It took forever it seemed though the delivery actually happened extremely quick. Tifa fell limp as Yuffie pulled the baby from her and she stared up in a daze at the ceiling. There a split second of silence then she heard the delightful scream of her child filling her ears. At last…after so many years of waiting…she was finally a mother. Tifa lifted herself up and relaxed against the pillows.

"It's a boy." Yuffie handed her the baby and went to fetch a knife or something to cut the umbilical cord.

Tifa gazed with all the adoration she had at the tiny infant in her arms. He was so beautiful, just the way she imagined him to be. He was screaming and the sound was music to her ears. She grabbed one of the softer blankets to wrap him in and wiped the blood from his skin. His hands were clenched into tight little fists and his face was contorted. But even so, he couldn't have been more perfect.

Yuffie returned a moment later to cut the cord and offered to wash the baby in the sink.

After a while they managed to get Tifa up to shower and then to bed. Yuffie took the initiative to clean up down stairs and left Tifa alone with her son.

The baby by this time had stopped crying and was just making little noises. Tifa cooed to him gently, rocking him back and forth. This was what it was like to be a mother. It felt amazing. She'd never before thought that it would feel so right to hold a child in her arms and know that it was hers to keep. She never loved anyone or anything so purely before and her heart felt somehow complete. So it was true, Elmyra was right that having a child could fill the void of loneliness. He opened his eyes to reveal none other than a pair of perfect mako green eyes. They seemed to glow and Tifa couldn't have been more pleased. She'd hoped he'd have his eyes.

"So what are you gonna name him?" Yuffie asked as she returned.

"I don't know…I want to name him something beautiful." She stroked the peach fuzz on his head. "What shall it be?" She smiled dreamily and sorted through all the lovely boys' names. His father was an angel, so she thought about an angel name. "How about Seraphim?"

"Seraphim?" Yuffie thought about it and smiled. "It kind of sounds like Sephiroth!" She then got up and went to grab her phone to tell everyone about the news.

Tifa gazed down at the tiny boy in her arms and suddenly felt like crying. She didn't know why, but she did. Her heart felt strange then, like it was still empty. She clutched the baby and let her tears run free.

When Yuffie returned some time later, she found Tifa weeping and inquired as to why. Tifa said she didn't know, just the thought of raising a baby alone frightened her. Yuffie tried to comfort her, but to no avail. Tifa was suddenly very scared, but most of all, she was hurting. She wanted the baby's father there with her; she wanted him to look at what they'd created together. She needed him to be with her.

"You love Sephiroth…don't you?" Yuffie asked quietly after Tifa managed to stop crying.

"Yes… I do…I don't know why I couldn't see it before."

"Because your thoughts where full of Cloud. But now your mind is clear…and your feelings for Sephiroth are shining."

It was probably the loveliest thing Yuffie'd ever said and she was right. All this time, Tifa had thought it was Cloud that made her life worth living, but little did she know that her heart truly belonged to Sephiroth.

A few days passed by and everyone was able to come see the baby. Vincent had already confessed to everyone that he was Sephiroth's father, so they all tried to respect the fact, and used it to help lessen the blow when Tifa said she wanted to go back to him.

Vincent felt weird to be a grandfather, saying that it made him feel old. Yuffie countered with a blushing face, that he _was_ old. He did seem to have a connection with the baby though and gave Tifa his blessing for wanting to return to Sephiroth. Everyone else followed suit, understanding completely about the situation and promised not to think less of any of them. However, Cloud's acceptance was another story, though Tifa insisted that their second break up was mutual and not to bear him any ill-will. So they all tried to think better of it.

"If it's what you really want, Tifa…we're not gonna stop ya. Just don't be a stranger, okay?" He gave her a big bear hug and she smiled and then bid goodbye to all her friends as they left.

Tifa sat with Yuffie at the dining table in silence. It wasn't an awkward kind of silence, just a quiet moment.

"So you really want to go through with this?" Yuffie asked after a while.

"Yes. I need him…I felt good when I was with him…"

"You really love him?"

"I do."

"Even though he killed your dad?"

"I know it seems strange and stupid. But I do…the past can't be helped, but the future can. He's not the same man he was...h-he changed somehow, Yuffie…he's so much sweeter than he was before."

"I can't imagine Sephiroth being sweet."

"But he is…and I know that when he sees that baby, he's going to melt."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Tifa." Yuffie put her arms around her. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again."

"Everything will be good when I go…I promise. And I promise that I'll call often and come see everyone."

"I hope so. I feel like I'm losing you." They hugged tightly.

"You're not losing me."

"Good. So how are you getting there?"

"Cid said he'd fly me."

"Well count on all of us to be coming too. We're not going to let you go without seeing you to the front door."

"Thank you, Yuffie."

"Are you gonna pack your stuff?" Yuffie asked as she and Tifa wen up to her room.

"I'm only bringing a few items with me, the rest I really don't need." Tifa started shuffled around in her closet and found an old photo album. She ran her hand over the leather cover and breathed in deeply, her heart jumping in her chest. She called Yuffie over and sat down on the bed with her. "Look at this."

"That's the pictures from our adventures." She sighed with awe. "You definitely need to take this with you; and show it to your kid when he gets older."

"You think?" Tifa said wistfully.

"Yeah! You can tell him the story and show him the pictures."

"And I can say…yeah, I was there; I did that." She closed her eyes dreamily, happily anticipating the day when her son could appreciate it.

"Are you going to leave the pictures that have Cloud in them?"

"Of course I will; he's part of the story isn't he? Without Cloud…I never would've fallen for Sephiroth."

Yuffie only smiled.


	24. Ch XXIII: Reunion

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. **

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Chapter XXIII: Reunion**

It's been months since Sephiroth had been left alone, nearly a year. He'd rebuilt the parts of the house that had been destroyed and spent the remainder of his time visiting the town and trying to humanize himself. He'd grown ill of being a monster and wanted to be a man, so he turned to Charlie the shopkeeper and told him his story. He explained to the old man what he'd gone through, his hardship as well as the pain he'd caused the Planet and himself. Sephiroth even confessed to the murder of the Ancient girl, Aerith, and explained about his provocation thoroughly.

Charlie sat quiet and dumbfounded.

"…And that's the whole truth…everything that happened to me." Sephiroth felt a rush of relief to be able to tell someone after keeping it all packed away inside for so long.

"..That's…an amazing story, my boy…truly amazing…" Charlie was in complete awe. "So you were taken as a baby from your parents to be a guinea pig for a mad scientist, brought up to be a trained killer…and went mad yourself, and then that spikey-headed kid started chasing ya…that's the most extraordinary thing I've ever heard."

"But you believe me, don't you?" Sephiroth was afraid he'd ruined his new friendship.

"I don't know, to be honest…but it explains that damn meteor…and that kid wanting so many potions…" Charlie rubbed his wrinkled brow. He turned back to Sephiroth. "…I-I believe you, young man…I believe you."

"Thank you. I don't know why I told you all this, I just needed someone to listen. I understand if you think ill of me."

"N-no…Sephiroth…no…just a little surprised is all." He gulped. "There were rumors around town about you, before you started showing yourself regularly."

"I know…and I made people nervous."

"And I wondered severely why that boy was so ardent about hunting you down. But you say that girl he had with him…you say she brought about a change in you?"

"Yes…my beautiful Tifa…it was subtle at first, but I grew to love her immensely…and my feelings for her changed my entire perspective on the world. Then with the discovery of my father was my transformation complete. I wanted to be a king and rule over the Planet…but now…I'm happy with this patch of land Rufus Shinra gave me. It's the perfect little realm."

"So…it's true that you own this whole territory."

"He gave me the nearly the entire region."

"Well…bless my soul…" Charlie grinned. "In that case, it's a pleasure and truly an honor to be privy to your story…King Sephiroth."

Sephiroth just chuckled. "I'm no king."

"You can be if you want to be!" Charlie said proudly. "You own all this. You can do anything you want with it!"

"I guess you're right."

"But…uh…Sephiroth." Charlie got serious. "There's one thing you're missing here…if you're a king."

"What's that?"

"Every king…must have a _queen_."

"…Tifa…"

Charlie winked at him.

* * *

><p>Tifa watched out the window of the Highwind as they passed over the mountains. Day was growing late and she wanted to be there before sunset, but it looked like that wasn't happening.<p>

"Sorry missy, but it looks like it'll be nice and dark when we get there." Cid said apologetically.

"It's alright, I'm just anxious." She sighed heavily and went down to her cabin to check on Seraphim.

The baby was sleeping soundly in his bassinette so she put off nursing him. He really did look just like his father in every way. Silver hair even shimmered on his newborn scalp and she was pleased for it. She knew from the start that he was Sephiroth's child, there was really no doubt in her mind, she _knew_. And she hoped with every inch of her being that Sephiroth would love him.

She couldn't wait to get there, she was ready to accept his proposal of marriage and become he queen he'd wanted her to be. She just wished that it hadn't taken her going back to Cloud for her to realize it. But, it is what it is, and there was no changing it; there was only looking toward the future. She smiled grazed her fingers along Seraphim's forehead.

"You're father is an amazing man, Seraphim. He's strong and powerful, and will take care of us until the end."

The child made a baby gurgling noise and woke up crying. It was time to nurse him. So Tifa lifted him into her arms and hushed him gently before producing a luscious, milky breast for him to suckle. He quieted down instantly as he took her milk.

When she finished, she replaced him in the bassinette and carried him out to the bridge to be with her friends. The entire team was assembled there, ready to see her off. They were getting ever closer to the house and Tifa was getting all the more nervous.

"You're sure about this, Tifa?" Barret asked putting his arm around her.

"Yes…I want him. This is what's best for me and my son." She hugged him tightly. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"You better call often." Barret looked like he was about to cry, but he staved off the tears.

"I promise. I have my cell phone." She smiled.

"You better." He brushed at his eye.

"I'll be around to see you." Vincent said. "After all, we're family."

"Of course."

"It's been fun, Lassie, but I want to see that baby again soon. He's jus' the cutest wee thing!" Cait Sith demanded lightly.

"Sure thing." She poked the robot cat in the nose.

"Me too." Red XIII said and she knelt to ruffle his mane.

"I'm not a mushy guy" Cid yelled from the wheel. "But you better be safe. If that bastard mistreats you, damn it I'ma shoot his ass."

"Thanks Cid, I'll be sure to let him know."

"Ya better."

Yuffie and Marlene sat together waiting to say their goodbyes. Marlene ran to Tifa and hugged her tightly around the waist.

"I'm going to miss you, Tifa!" She whimpered. "I really don't want you to go."

"Oh, sweetie, it's not like I'm going away forever. I'll come see you." Tifa knelt down to her level and hugged her tightly. "Don't forget to come visit me sometime."

"Ok." She brushed at her cheek and wiped away a couple of rogue tears.

Tifa rose and went to Yuffie. The two women hugged without a word. They both knew what the other was thinking. _Be safe, stay out of trouble, call and visit when you can._ They'd become closer than ever while Yuffie was staying with her and Tifa asked her to run her bar for her. Yuffie couldn't have been more honored with such a task and accepted it with all her heart.

"We're all going to miss you so much." Yuffie said. "It feels weird you know…to be giving you up to Sephiroth."

"You make it sound like I'm going to be sacrificed or something…don't worry, it would never work because I'm not a virgin." Tifa tried to make a joke of it. "My dad is probably rolling in his grave right now."

"Nah! He rolled over long ago." Yuffie laughed and helped Tifa gather her few belongings.

The sun had set an hour prior and they were landing promptly. Tifa smiled excitedly when Cid opened the hatch for her. The night was dark and so was the house. It seemed empty and still. She swallowed hard and wondered if he was even still there. She stepped off the airship and went up to the front door.

"Is anyone home?" Yuffie called.

"I don't know." Tifa rang the loud doorbell and waited. Minutes passed no one answered. She turned back to her friends. "I'm going inside anyway."

"If he doesn't show soon, give us a call and I'll turn around come get ya." Cid promised as he lit up a cigarette.

"I will. Goodbye everyone." Tifa waved as Cid closed up the doors and steered the ship away from the mountain.

Tifa watched them as they flew away. She looked up wistfully at the clear starry sky and the full moon illuminating the mountains with its ethereal light. As she turned around something gleaming from a nearby hilltop caught her eye. She watched it for a moment and squinted, trying to figure out what it was. It looked like the moonlight reflecting off of something, though it wasn't natural. Someone was intentionally trying to get her attention.

Then her cell phone went off. She startled a little but set the baby basket on the porch and looked at her phone. The name on the screen was Cloud's.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Tifa." _

"Cloud? What's up?" She was unsure of what to say to him.

"_Nothing, I just wanted to make sure that you got here safely." _

Tifa didn't say anything, she stretched out her vision as far as she could and noticed the vague outline of a man leaning against a motorcycle, reflecting the moonlight off of a sword blade.

"Cloud…how did you get up here?"

"_I have my ways." _As always, he avoided her questions. _"Yuffie called me, told me that you were going back to Sephiroth." _

"Why would she tell you that?"

"_Maybe she wanted to rub it in my face. But it doesn't bother me. As I said, I'm only here to make sure you're alright." _

"I'm fine."

_"I'm not exactly keen on you being with Sephiroth of all people…but if you really want to be with him, then as your friend, you have my blessing…as your ex-husband…well…we won't go there." _

"It's better that we don't." She smiled. "Thank you, Cloud."

"_For what?"_

"For…gosh…for being with me through everything…and…for allowing me to experience a life with you…and the craziest thing…thank you for leaving me. I-I never thought I'd say something like that…but it's true, if you hadn't left me Sephiroth probably wouldn't have taken me away…and I wouldn't have realized my feelings for him…I wouldn't have Seraphim."

"_Is that what you named the baby?"_

"Yes, it's a little boy."

"_It's beautiful."_

"Thank you."

Cloud smiled through the darkness. _"Sephiroth will be back soon…he left a few hours ago to the village don't worry." _

"You've been waiting here that long?"

"Yeah. If you like, I can stand watch until he comes back."

"_You don't have to."_

There was a moment of silence.

"_I know it seems terrible, Tifa…but I miss you. Not necessarily as a wife…but as my friend…you really are the best friend I've ever had, and I'm sorry for not appreciating you."_

"It's alright, Cloud."

"_It's cold, get inside, Tifa. I have to go now."_

"I know."

"_Oh, Tifa…"_

"Yes?"

"_If you get married, I would very much like an invitation…if you don't mind…I probably won't show up…but, just to know that I'm thought of." _

"You're such a self-centered bastard." She chuckled.

"_I know. Goodbye, Tifa."_

"Goobye, Cloud."

She watched as he put away the sword and hopped on the bike. She could hear the subtle roar of the engine as he sped away.

With a heavily beating heart, she opened the door of the house and brought everything inside. She first carried Seraphim up to Sephiroth's bedroom and then went back for her bag and the cradle. The cradle wasn't very large or heavy and she easily carried it upstairs.

After arranging the cradle and baby bag into the corner, she placed Seraphim in it and hurried down to her bedroom to change. She chose the white nightgown that she'd worn when she seduced Sephiroth and then hurried back up to his room. Tifa remembered the ruby ring Sephiroth had given her and excitedly placed it on the correct finger. She wanted to surprise him when he got there and so she climbed into the bed and covered herself with the sheets. Eventually, she fell asleep there.

Sephiroth flew home the best he could. He was a little drunk, as he often was after Tifa left, and so he swayed in the air a little more than usual. His vision was not as blurry as a normal man's would be after _twenty_ shots…for Sephiroth took forty to get him plastered. But he was quite tipsy and had slight trouble when he tried to open the window.

He stumbled inside the room and turned to close the window. It took him a little longer than usual. Finally he meandered into the bathroom and shed his clothes, then used the toilet, then went to the bed. As he felt backward, he just barely missed Tifa. But he felt her in the bed. Sephiroth instantly sobered. He shot straight up and with a cautious hand grasped the grabbed the comforter and pulled it back to reveal, bathed in silver moonlight, the goddess of his dreams. Tifa's eyes fluttered open and she looked straight up at him.

Sephiroth was unsure if he was dreaming for if he was awake. But the image before him was breathtaking and his chest tightened up immediately.

"Tifa?" He whispered through the darkness.

She opened her arms up to him. "Sephiroth…I'm home

"Oh…my…oh…_Tifa!_" He threw his arms around her and took her close to his chest. "My princess…my beautiful, Tifa…is it really you?"

"Yes…yes it's me!" She buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. But there was something else on him…the odor of cigarette smoke and alcohol. She pulled away from him. "What in the world have you been doing?"

"I've been visiting the town. There's a bar there…I've been making my acquaintance with the patrons. And well…the truth is, I've been drinking a considerable amount since you've been gone."

"_Drinking?_" She leaned back from him. "You…you're not an alcoholic now are you?"

"I don't think so…I'm not addicted…"

"Oh, good." She looked over her shoulder through the darkness and smiled. Seraphim would sleep soundly for a while, so she decided not to show Sephiroth yet. She'd been doing many exercises and massaging formulas into her stomach to reduce the stretch marks, her skin had snapped back quite nicely anyway, and she hoped that she still looked as good as she did when she left him."Come, let's go take a bath."

"Yes." He lifted her up and carried her into the bathroom.

He kicked the faucet on and then set Tifa on the counter. He looked into her beautiful face and cupped her cheeks in his hands, still unsure if she was real. They stared into each other's eyes for an eternity. He caressed her face and stroked her hair and returned the favor.

"You're really here…aren't you?" He whispered quietly.

"I'm here…and I'm here to stay…" She placed her hand on his cheek and he felt the metal of the ring and pulled her hand away to find the ruby studding her finger.

Without a word, Sephiroth grabbed her ears and kissed her deeply. Never before had he kissed anyone so passionately. Tifa hadn't either. Their hands roved each other's bodies and he slid the nightgown off of her shoulders, letting it fall around her waist. He slid his mouth from her lips down her neck and back up again. His hands found her breasts and he massaged them tenderly. They seemed larger and heavier than they were before but that didn't bother him in the least. He pulled the gown off of her and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the tub and sat them down slowly.

Sephiroth continued to conquer her mouth and run his hands along her body, and she followed his lead. Somehow, somewhere between the kisses and caresses, Tifa and Sephiroth managed to wash up and get the bar smell off of him. Soon he smelled of pomegranate and was almost good enough to eat. Quickly toweling, off, Sephiroth lifted Tifa back into his arms and carried her to the bed with every intention of ravishing her. But as he climbed atop her, she stopped him.

"Wait, darling." She placed a finger upon his lips. "There's something I need to show you…" She got up from the bed and went to the dark corner.

"What is it?"

"Something of yours that you gave me before I left." She turned around, carrying a bundle of white fabric in her arms. "Open your arms and be gentle."

Sephiroth put out his hands and became intrigued when he felt the softness of whatever the blanket held. Then it moved. He was slightly startled, but brought it close to this chest. Inside the blanket, was a tiny carbon copy of himself.

"What?" He was taken aback. "This is…"

"That's Seraphim…our son."

"_Our_ son?"

"Yeah."

Sephiroth gazed down at the baby in his arms and he felt a warmth glow inside of him. It was a warmth he'd never felt before in his life. He was instantly enflamed with a kind of love he'd never thought was possible. He felt an instant connection as soon as the baby opened his eyes and looked up at him. The green orbs staring back at him were unmistakably his own and his heart swelled up and he thought he would cry from the sheer joy he felt rising within him.

"W-we…made a baby…" He looked up at Tifa, his eyes shining. "We made a _baby!_" He tossed his attention back to Seraphim. "I'm a father."

He started to tremble with such excitement. He didn't know what to do or think first, only that he was overcome the absolute purest form of joy anyone on the face of the planet could possibly feel. He never before felt so alive, so at peace.

Sephiroth then paused. He realized something spectacular. Sephiroth realized that he finally had what he'd truly craved ever since he was a small boy; a home and a family. He cradled Seraphim in his arm and reached out, gently grasping Tifa's chin, and brought her lips to his own.

* * *

><p>Even though Tifa had told him not to, Cloud did maintain guard over the house from a distance until he saw Sephiroth fly in.<p>

"You take care of her, Sephiroth...she's one of a kind."

He sped away into the night.


	25. Epilogue: Their Love

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Angel's Queen<strong>

**Epilogue: Their Love**

Tifa sat in the warmth of the sunlight as she nursed her daughter. She watched with a loving gaze as Seraphim ran around the garden with his younger brothers, Aemilius and Evander, playing with wooden swords their father had made for them.

They truly were his children; full of his strength and energy and warrior ways. They were naturals at the sword and both parents were proud of them. They looked like him as well, with their gleaming silver hair, though the twins had Tifa's crimson gaze.

Tifa watched over them as they laughed and played, taking in their joy as her own. She then turned her gaze down to Demetria, her three-month-old daughter. Demetria would grow to be a true beauty one day. She wore her mother's dark waves upon her head and was blessed with her father's mako eyes. Secretly, she was Daddy's favorite, as she was his only daughter. Though, in all actuality, he loved them all equally.

Sephiroth went out to the garden to join them, carrying a glass of lemonade for Tifa. He handed it to her with a kiss on her head and then bent to kiss the baby. With a bright smile, he took the infant from her and cradled her against his chest, rocking her gently as he stood behind Tifa. He cooed to the tiny princess in his arms and sang of his delight in her.

Tifa was awash in rapture. She and Sephiroth had been married for ten years up this point, happily allowing each day to pass by gloriously. They'd made themselves known in the village and were well liked by the people. They'd had a simple but beautiful wedding in the public garden they had, and allowed all the villagers to attend. Tifa sent out invitations to all her friends and every one of them showed up. Except Cloud. Or…Tifa thought at first that he didn't, but at their reception she noticed a glinting light from a nearby hill. She knew it was him. He came, though dared not come any closer. Then her cell phone vibrated in her purse.

"Hello?"

"_Hey."_

"Hey."

"_Congratulations."_

"Thank you."

_"You look beautiful."_

"Thank you."

"_I have to go now."_

"I know."

"_Goodbye."_

"Goodbye."

That was the last time she'd ever hear from Cloud again. But he came…she doubted it would happen, but it did. He actually cared enough about her to come to her wedding.

Now she sat in perfect harmony. Her friends visited her often and she was constantly kept on the go with the children and constantly, though happily, regaling them with tales of her adventures as a member of Avalanche. But at night, while the children slept, Sephiroth would come to Tifa and spread his wing out over her and she would be entranced by his touch and surrender herself to him completely. He was her angel and she was his queen.

* * *

><p><strong>OMG! I can't believe I actually finished this thing...it feels crazy! I really didn't want it to be over! I'm gonna cry...I wanted to stretch it out further, but I didn't know how to without it getting redundant. Oh well...Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed it and had a great time reading it. I love this story with all my heart and I'm actually thinking about taking the general concept of it, changing the characters names, and turning it into one of my original tales. I have steadily growing collection of short stories and novellas I've written and I think this may become one of them. <strong>In truth, I had no idea what I was doing when I started this fic, the prologue was nothing more than a drabble, but it was sexy so I decided to try to make a story out of it...and really, I just made it all up as I went along. All I knew that was going to happen in this was Vincent was going to be Sephiroth's father and Tifa and Sephiroth would end up together...other than that...I just prayed that I'd get ideas that would flow in those directions.<strong>**

**Next I'd like to thank everyone who commented and stuck with this to the end. I couldn't have done it without you guys. You all helped tremendously and kept the desire within me to continue. So thank you all so much for your following and your wonderful esteem-boosting comments. I hope to have you all follow me into my future stories and continue to inspire me to complete them. **


End file.
